In his first visit to the border region, the new U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Anthony Wayne, said Thursday he will make accelerating a binational drug-fighting program his priority.

Wayne assumed the post in August, following the resignation of Carlos Pascual after Wikileaks released a series of cables in which he criticized Mexico's war against drug traffickers, a war that has resulted in an estimated 40,000 deaths in that country.

Wayne spoke at the Institute of the Americas at UCSD. On Friday, he will visit Tijuana, where he will formerly inaugurate new U.S. consulate offices.

Wayne expressed his confidence in the controversial Merida Initiative, launched in 2007 as a binational strategy to combat organized crime.

He said that the United States has provided Mexico equipment, technology and training worth nearly $600 million under that program and expects that amount to climb to $900 million before the end of the year.

Since its inception four years ago, U.S. support totals $2 billion, he said.

The initiative has drawn fire on both sides border, however. In the U.S. Congress, detractors complain that more resources are being given to corrupt law enforcement officials. And in Mexico, some lawmakers complain that the program unduly interferes in Mexico's affairs.

The ambassador said that the struggle against organized crime should be seen as a "shared responsibility" and stressed that he will pursue greater protection for the law enforcement agents who fight in war in both sides of the border.

Like he has previously expressed, the ambassador said that his work will focus on the economic development of both countries.

He noted that Mexico is the third largest trading partner to the United States, which has generated 6 million jobs north of the border.

The ambassador said he will work to improve border crossings, which we called a "joint problem requiring a joint solution."

"This region should be seen as one; what happens on one side directly affects the other," he said.

At the end of his speech, before dozens of people in the main hall of the Institute of the Americas, the ambassador took questions from the audience.

On immigration reform, he said a solution was overdue and predicted that it would be an issue in the upcoming presidential elections.

Meanwhile, the institute's long-time director, Jeffrey Davidow, bid farewell.

Davidow, himself a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, ended his second, four-year stint as director last May, and used Wayne's visit to publicly say goodbye.

"It was an honor to have been part of the institute," he said at the end of Wayne's remarks.

"I hope I contributed in some way to the relationship between Baja California and San Diego, achieved a greater understanding although I'm aware that there's still much left to do," he said.

The institute will be led by Charles Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela.

For his part, Davidow will work as a business consultant in Washington, D.C., although he said he will continue to live in San Diego.

Alexandra.mendoza@sandiegored.com

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