Soldiers have confiscated some 2,000 guns from police officers in Tijuana, Mexico, leaving the officers unwilling to conduct their patrols.
The soldiers, who are conducting a crackdown on the illegal drug trade, say they will put the guns through ballistic tests to determine whether they were involved in any crimes. Federal investigators say they believe a corrupt network of police officers supports the drug trade.
Policemen walked off the job, saying it is too dangerous for them to patrol without their guns.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon ordered more than 3,000 troops to Tijuana earlier this week. Tijuana and the surrounding border region have become major transit points for drug smuggling into the United States.
Violence associated with the trade has taken a deadly toll. More than 300 people were murdered in Tijuana last year.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
