(CNN) -- The U.S. ambassador to Mexico has submitted his resignation, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Saturday.
The move by Ambassador Carlos Pascual comes amid tension between the United States and Mexico after a U.S. diplomatic cable released last fall by the WikiLeaks website quoted U.S. officials talking about "widespread corruption" in Mexican security agencies and "a dysfunctionally low level of collaboration." The cable, dated January 29, 2010, also described the Mexican army as "slow" and "risk averse" and concluded that only 2% of people arrested in Ciudad Juarez -- the most violent city in Mexico, wracked by drug-cartel-related killings -- were charged with a crime.
In a recent interview with the Mexican newspaper El Universal, Calderon stopped short of saying he was offended by U.S. officials but he complained of what he implicitly interpreted as attempts by his neighbors to the north to meddle in Mexican domestic policy.
"I have no need to tell (Pascual) how many times I meet with my security cabinet nor what I say, right? The truth is that it's a matter that does not concern him and I don't tolerate nor accept any type of interference," Calderon told the newspaper.
While not addressing the tension specifically, Clinton said in a statement Saturday that Pascual's decision to resign is "based upon his personal desire to ensure the strong relationship between our two countries and to avert issues raised by President Calderon that could distract from the important business of advancing our bilateral interests."
Pascual, who had held the position for the past year and a half, will remain in Mexico to ensure an orderly transition for his successor, Clinton said.