Mexico Minister Resigns in Protest Over Militarization of Ports

Mexico’s transportation minister Javier Jimenez Espriu quit his post after the president put the military in charge of the nation’s ports, signaling a rift within the administration over the many tasks that have been handed to the armed forces.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in a video message alongside the resigned cabinet member that Jimenez Espriu believed ports should continue to be administered and operated by his ministry. The president said the Navy is better fit to fight the corruption that allows contraband and drugs to flow through ports. He also put the army in charge of customs offices nationwide, as of last week.