Source: Obama gets update on Mexico

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama was briefed Saturday by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen about the drug wars in Mexico and wanted to know how the United States can help.

“Clearly one of the things the president was interested in was the U.S military capability that may or may not apply to our cooperation with the Mexicans,” said a U.S. military official who requested anonymity because the discussions were private. ”He was very interested in what kind of military capabilities may be applied.”

Mullen briefed Obama on Saturday morning about discussions with Mexican military leaders about the drug wars there.

Mullen, who was in Mexico on Friday, has referred to the recent spike in violence as a crisis. Mullen has said Mexico could borrow from U.S. tactics in the fight against terrorism as it battles a crisis of drug-related violence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

On Saturday, the military official said the additional U.S. help could come in the form of U.S. equipment and intelligence-sharing.