Gov. Bill Richardson was reassured by Arturo Sarukhan, the Mexican ambassador to the United States, at a breakfast meeting in Washington, D.C., Wednesday that Mexican troops will stay on the border with New Mexico until order is restored, the Governor's Office said in a news release.

Sarukhan told the governor that Mexican soldiers will remain until order is restored and the rule of law can be re-established, according to the release.

The Mexican government announced last week it commit more than 2,500 soldiers and federal police to deal with drug-related violence that has plagued the U.S.-Mexico border in recent weeks and months, the release said.

Up to 100 soldiers have been promised for Palomas, a small city across the border from Columbus, N.M., where an estimated 40 people have been killed since the beginning of the year in what has been called a turf war between drug cartels, the Deming Headlight reported.

Mexico also has promised to send troops to Juarez, just across the border from El Paso, where as many as 200 deaths have been attributed to the drug war, the Headlight reported.

"Our meeting was productive and I am pleased that the Mexican government's commitment to help stem the flow of drugs and violence into New Mexico," Richardson said in the release. "I praise the Mexican government for their cooperative attitude."

Rick Moody, agent in charge of the Deming U.S. Border Patrol station, told the Headlight, however, that he doesn't believe the promised troops have reached Palomas and that soldiers seen in the area are local Palomas soldiers.

"We have not observed any noticeable difference from our limited vantage point at the (Columbus) Port of Entry on the U.S. side of the border," Customs and Border Protection spokesman Roger Maier told the Headlight.

Richardson also told Sarukhan that New Mexico will support the so-called Merida Initiative, a joint security initiative with Mexico and Central American nations to combat the threats of drug trafficking, transnational crime and terrorism, according to the Governor's Office release.

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