Mexico’s president has removed Eduardo Medina-Mora, the attorney general, and replaced him with a little-known former law enforcement official.

Felipe Calderon told reporters on Monday that Arturo Chavez, a lawyer and former official in the attorney general’s office, would replace Medina-Mora as the point man in the fight against drug cartels.

Calderon praised Medina-Mora for his “professionalism, his commitment and loyalty to Mexico” which he said had been crucial “in hitting hard” against organised crime.

And he said the new man, Chavez, “has wide experience in law and specifically in combating organised crime”.

Two others removed in Monday’s cabinet shake-up were Jesus Reyes Heroles, the head of state energy company Pemex, and Alberto Cardenas, the agriculture minister.

Calderon, whose term runs to late 2012, gave no explanation for the three resignations.

Medina-Mora is the architect of the government’s anti-drug campaign, which Calderon had staked his presidency on since taking office in 2006, but which has so far failed to defeat powerful cartels.

Admission

Al Jazeera’s Franc Contreras, reporting from Mexico City, said the shake-up appeared to be an admission by Calderon that the policy against drug cartels was not working, especially after the latest violence last weekend where key politicians were killed.