In a continuing sign of the worsening drug trade in Mexico, a police chief is seeking asylum in the United States due to the lack of safety he feels in the country.

From the AP:

Emilio Perez, the chief of Palomas, Mexico, showed up at the international port of entry in Columbus, N.M., late Tuesday, saying his two deputies had left the department and that he now needed protection, too, according to Doug Mosier, a U.S. Border Patrol spokesman in El Paso.

Perez was taken in and was believed to be in custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday, according to Mosier. Leticia Zamarripa, an ICE spokeswoman, declined to comment on the case, citing privacy issues.

“This is a little off the beaten path, I haven’t seen this before,” Mosier said. “(But) with the escalating violence in Palomas, we understand why this individual sought asylum.”

The illegal drug trade in Mexico is valued at $23 billion.