posted on January 27, 2006 09:08:07 AM
Mexican official responds to inquiry demand
Foreign secretary says men seen helping criminals at the border could be Americans
From Staff And Wire Reports
MEXICO CITY - Mexico's foreign secretary suggested Thursday that uniformed men using a military-style Humvee to help drug traffickers on the border could have been U.S. soldiers or criminals disguised as Mexican troops.
The border incident has intensified U.S. concerns about forays into the United States by Mexican soldiers while heightening bilateral tensions over border violence.
The comments by Luis Ernesto Derbez came a day after U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza issued a strongly worded statement asking the Mexican government to "fully investigate" Monday's border incident.
Garza's statement late Wednesday said the incident "serves to bolster the arguments of those who seek the creation of physical barriers along our border."
Derbez called Garza's comments out of line and said his office is sending a note asking him to tone down his rhetoric.
Derbez also said that men photographed by Texas law enforcement officers as they helped marijuana traffickers flee to Mexico on Monday could have been Americans, but he offered no evidence.
He did refer, however, to an FBI drug sting dubbed Operation Lively Green, in which more than a dozen U.S. military and civilian government workers were arrested in Arizona. Some pled guilty to transporting drugs in official vehicles.
"Members of the U.S. Army have helped protect people who were processing and transporting drugs," Derbez said. "And just as that has happened ... it is very probable that something like that could have happened, that in reality they (the uniformed men at the border) were members of some of their groups disguised as Mexican soldiers with Humvees."
Texas law enforcement officials said Mexican soldiers were involved in Monday's incident.
Mexican officials earlier have said the uniformed men were drug traffickers disguised as Mexican soldiers. Derbez said Thursday there was no proof they were even Mexicans.
"There would have to have been racial descriptions, and that would imply a certain element of racial discrimination on the part of the American sheriffs," Derbez said.
The incident has refocused attention on reports that Mexican military and police personnel have crossed onto U.S. territory at least 216 times in the past 10 years, along with concerns about drug dealers in Mexican army uniforms.
The number of incursions peaked at 40 in 2002, according to a U.S. Homeland Security report distributed to news organizations by U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., who is lobbying for more controls on illegal immigration. Nine incidents were reported last year.
Five more incursions by armed Mexican personnel took place in the first quarter of this fiscal year, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday. Citing confidential Homeland Security records, the newspaper said the incidents have included five Tijuana police officers pursuing and shooting at two suspects over the border in 2004 and two men in Mexican army uniforms and carrying rifles near San Diego in October.
Also Thursday, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn announced separate investigations into incursions by Mexican military, including Monday's incident.
Cornyn, R-Texas, said the Immigration and Border Security committee he chairs will soon hold a hearing on the incursions.
The Associated Press, Chicago Tribune and Chronicle reporter James Pinkerton contributed to this report.
"“More Iraqis think things are going well in Iraq than Americans do. I guess they don’t get the New York Times over there.”—Jay Leno".
posted on January 27, 2006 09:20:00 AM
"Derbez said Thursday there was no proof they were even Mexicans.
"There would have to have been racial descriptions, and that would imply a certain element of racial discrimination on the part of the American sheriffs," Derbez said."
So does that mean that the Sheriffs would not be allowed to officially report such a thing if they had gotten close enough to tell the difference? The way this is worded makes it sound like they aren't allowed to describe a Mexican as Hispanic.
I can understand why racial profiling is a sensitive subject with middle-easterners, but this would be taking it a little too far.
Dr. Arcane, revelator of mystical secrets http://www.drarcane.com
Got questions about the secrets of the universe?
posted on January 27, 2006 01:28:06 PM
Phewwww. Now that we know it isn't the Federales, the next time we see a bunch of guys in a military-type vehicle, we can take it out with a Lance rocket.
posted on January 27, 2006 03:52:38 PM
The involvement of Americans employed on the border with drug traffic is well known. There've been lots of arrests. These could easily have been Americans. They could just as easily have been members of the Policia Federal de Caminos, the "Federales" that most Americans think every Mexican in a uniform is.
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posted on January 28, 2006 05:28:49 PM
I suspect that it's that fellow "Jack Bauer" from CTU trying to slip across the border for another season of "24"! Either that or the CIA is back in the South American drug running game...
