An ambitious U.S.-Mexico counter-drug plan would involve several countries in Central America and more than $8 billion, with Mexico providing the bulk of the money, a Pentagon official said Tuesday. The U.S. portion of the package is about $1.5 billion, although the exact amount and the number of years it covers are still being worked out by negotiators, said Stephen Johnson, the deputy assistant secretary for the Western Hemisphere at the Department of Defense.This is the first time U.S. officials have shed some light on one of the Bush administration's signature initiatives for Latin America, a program somewhat similar to the multibillion effort known as Plan Colombia in that South American nation.

But Mexican and U.S. officials have been cautious in disclosing details and are especially careful not to draw parallels with Plan Colombia. Analysts say Mexicans would resent the scrupulous U.S. congressional monitoring of Plan Colombia, which includes about 800 Defense Department personnel operating in Colombia. Johnson called the new program a ``regional security cooperation partnership.''

''Make no mistake,'' he added. ``This security cooperation partnership does not involve U.S. military troops.'' He said Mexico has asked Washington to contribute about $1.5 billion to the program, and Mexico would put up $7 billion.