Mexico's youngest police chief, Marisol Valles Garcia, has fled to the US after apparently receiving death threats, immigration officials have confirmed.
Ms Garcia attracted worldwide attention last year when she became police chief of a border town plagued by drug-related violence because no-one else dared take the job.
She is now seeking asylum in Texas after fleeing across the border.
Ms Garcia was sacked from her post on Monday for being absent without leave.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12684176
Note: 9 March 2011 Last updated at 00:17 GMT