UNITED STATES - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she expected Congress to quickly free up 400 million dollars in anti-drug aid approved earlier this year.

Rice met with her Mexican counterpart, Foreign Secretary PatriciaEspinoza, in Puerto Vallarta Thursday.  Talks centered on the war ondrug trafficking but also covered global affairs, given that Mexico hasjust won a temporary seat on the U.N. Security Council.

More than 4,000 people have died in drug-related violence in Mexicosince President Felipe Calderon came to power in December 2006. Thecountry needs the U.S. financial aid to better equip its police andarmed forces, currently at a disadvantage against professionally-armeddrug cartels.