Creel, speaking to reporters in Mexico City, said the report had several "huge errors," including a failure to mention President Vicente Fox's new human rights plan.

"A report with errors as evident as these can't be taken seriously," he said.

In December, Fox laid out a plan to improve the country's human rights record, including pledges to eradicate torture and to hold corrupt and abusive authorities accountable for shoddy police work.

"What we want is a good neighbor, someone with whom we share a free trade agreement not someone who judges us," he said.

Creel said he planned to discuss the matter with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who plans to visit Mexico next week.

However, National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) head José Luis Soberanes said the U.S. report was "unfortunately correct."

"We can't deny that migrants (passing through Mexico) are mistreated, that law enforcement has failed in protecting the people," he said. "After all, these problems are there and unfortunately we have to accept that they exist."

Soberanes also criticized a change in Mexico's foreign policy under Fox in which his administration has actively advocated for human rights and criticized nations such as Cuba for violations. Under past governments, Mexico had adopted a non-interventionist foreign policy.

"It is tough to defend the Mexican government because in the past we protected ourselves from criticism by evoking the principle of non-interventionism, but now that can no longer be employed," he said.

In its annual report, released Monday, the U.S. State Department offered a profile of the human rights situation in all countries around the globe. In the country report for Mexico, the document expressed concern about the "serious problems" posed by violence associated with drug-cartel turf battles in parts of northern and southeastern Mexico.

The department said the largely Indian-populated states of southern Mexico Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca leave much to be desired in the realm of respect for human rights.

The U.S. report did offer praise for the overall thrust of President Vicente Fox's efforts in 2004 to promote observance of human rights in Mexico.

While she did not support the report's findings, Foreign Relations Undersecretary Patricia Olamendi acknowledged that Mexico is struggling to fully implement rights guarantees.

"I think our problem is structural, we have serious deficiencies in our system of prosecution and administration of justice," she said.

However, Olamendi, who directs the Foreign Relations Secretariat's policy on multilateral issues and human rights, said the U.S. report was "unilateral" and "biased."

"We have never taken into consideration the human rights report issued by the U.S. State Department. We have always indicated that a unilateral exercise on this topic does not benefit us," she said.

Washington's appraisal, she said, is based "on very idiosyncratic considerations that contrast with the reports of the U.N. and the (OAS) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which recognize the effort Mexico's government is making to resolve problems relative to human rights."

The comments were the latest in a diplomatic spat between the two neighbors. In January, Mexico was angered when U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza issued a warning, saying tourists should avoid the Mexican side of the border with the United States because of growing drug violence.

EFE contributed to this report.