Borderland Beat: Wow! Mexico Now Permits U.S. Agents to Carry Weapons

Peeved Mexicans: “U.S. Agents will be armed as though they own the place”

By Lucio R. Borderland Beat- some material used from Luengas Noticias and WSJ

A then president elect, Enrique Peña Nieto took a firm position of not allowing armed foreign agents.

At the time he said;

“I resolutely do not support the presence of armed U.S. agents in Mexico, but would consider allowing the United States to instruct Mexico's military training in counterinsurgency tactics.”

That was then.

Now, the Mexican Senate has approved the "initiative"of President Enrique Peña Nieto, that would allow foreign agents to carry weapons within the territory of Mexico, arguing they contribute to tourism and immigration and customs control.

The representatives of the PRI political party, along with the PAN and PVEM (green party), gave the green light to the legislation, which senators of the PRD and PT (labor party) opposed.

Mexican Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Meade defended the measure, arguing that will contribute to greater integration of the region of North America.

However many Mexican’s and leaders alike, are not only leery about the initiative, some are damn right peeved and outraged. Like Senator Manuel Bartlett.

Taking the floor the senator’s prophecy is that the names of the senators who make up this term will go down in history "as an abject Senate that fulfilled the commands of the neighboring foreign power to flood our country of armed foreign agents".

U.S. Agent gives a thumbs up before boarding helicopter 

U.S. Agents disguising themselves as Mexican Navy personnel

In a Wall Street Journal article published in 2013 and updated in November 2014, there was the following:

"U.S. Justice Department personnel are disguising themselves as Mexican Marines to take part in armed raids against drug suspects in Mexico, according to people familiar with the matter, an escalation of American involvement in battling drug cartels that carries significant risk to U.S. personnel. Both the U.S. and Mexican governments have acknowledged in the past that American law-enforcement agencies operate in Mexico providing intelligence support to Mexican military units battling the cartels. The countries have described the U.S. role as a supporting one only."



Read more »


Borderland Beat Reporter Lucio Posted at 9:14 PM 177 comments: