Don Gabacho
2011-03-14 20:20:29 UTC
Mexico probes U.S. weapons operation
March 13, 2011 10:30 PM
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office said Friday that it has begun
investigations to determine if the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives could be subject to legal action for operation
"Fast and Furious" that allowed the illegal entry of weapons into
Mexico without its knowledge.
If there is legal recourse, Jorge Alberto Lara Rivera, a deputy
assistant attorney general, said action would be pursued in Mexico and
that there would be sanctions.
Lara’s comments came Friday during an interview with several reporters
in Mexico City. The PGR provided a transcript of the interview.
Lara also said it is possible that Mexico could seek the extradition
of the Columbus, New Mexico mayor, police chief and a city elected
officials arrested Thursday on drug and weapons trafficking charges if
it is shown that the weapons were moved to Mexico and that crimes were
committed in Mexico with them. "We will analyze the case," Lara said.
This comes in the heels of nonstop developments following recent
revelations that ATF’s Phoenix-based operation, dubbed "Fast and
Furious," permitted weapons to land in the hands of suspected Mexican
gunrunners with the intent of identifying and prosecuting major
weapons smugglers and drug cartel operatives.
The operation has come under harsh scrutiny after it was revealed that
weapons used to kill U.S. Immigration and Customs Special Agent Jaime
Jorge Zapata of Brownsville and Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry of
Arizona might be linked to the operation.
Mexico’s Attorney General Alberto Chavez Chavez’s office issued a
statement Thursday that Mexico does not authorize undercover
operations that affect the country’s integrity and he asked the U.S.
government for details of the operation.
A day earlier, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that
she had not authorized the federal operation and that the program had
been approved through the Department of Justice, while U.S. Attorney
General Eric Holder said later in the week that he has requested an
investigation into the operation.
"Letting guns ‘walk’ is not something that is acceptable. Guns are
different than drugs or money when we are trying to follow their
trail. That is not acceptable," Holder said during a Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee hearing. Holder said that he has made this
clear to attorneys and ATF agents.
In Thursday’s statement, PGR said that, "The government of Mexico also
has initiated investigations to determine if violations were committed
on Mexican territory."
Lara said Friday that as soon as Mexico heard of reports regarding
operation Fast and Furious, U.S. officials contacted their
counterparts in Phoenix to ask them about it and that they denied that
the operation included the movement of weapons.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, Fast and Furious was
conducted on U.S. territory and U.S. law enforcement briefed Mexican
officials as plans unfolded on operations in the U.S. through January.
Lara said that Mexico would never have approved an operation that
would include, under any conditions, the trafficking of arms, even
controlled trafficking, from the U.S. to Mexico. He said that Mexican
agents participated in an operation in Phoenix in January in the
detention of arms traffickers, "but we never knew, never have known
that this operation or any other would include the movement of arms or
the controlled purchases of arms to Mexico," he said.
Lara also addressed extraditions, noting that "we have talked with the
authorities in the U.S. and with the embassy so that we can be able to
extradite persons involved in arms trafficking. The problem is that
some conduct in our country is penalized whereas it is not in the
U.S." Lara said the legalities are being reviewed so that persons,
including U.S. citizens, could be extradited to Mexico.
Phil Jordan, the former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent-in
charge of the Dallas office, who also is a former director of the El
Paso Intelligence Center, weighed in, noting that, "cover-ups on
flawed operations only enhance the power of the bad guys."
"With Mexico fighting a real drug war, ATF or any other federal U.S.
agency should NEVER allow weapons to knowingly be smuggled into
Mexico; never in Spanish means NUNCA. These types of programs give
Washington a black eye, and violate Mexico’s sovereignty."
March 13, 2011 10:30 PM
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office said Friday that it has begun
investigations to determine if the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives could be subject to legal action for operation
"Fast and Furious" that allowed the illegal entry of weapons into
Mexico without its knowledge.
If there is legal recourse, Jorge Alberto Lara Rivera, a deputy
assistant attorney general, said action would be pursued in Mexico and
that there would be sanctions.
Lara’s comments came Friday during an interview with several reporters
in Mexico City. The PGR provided a transcript of the interview.
Lara also said it is possible that Mexico could seek the extradition
of the Columbus, New Mexico mayor, police chief and a city elected
officials arrested Thursday on drug and weapons trafficking charges if
it is shown that the weapons were moved to Mexico and that crimes were
committed in Mexico with them. "We will analyze the case," Lara said.
This comes in the heels of nonstop developments following recent
revelations that ATF’s Phoenix-based operation, dubbed "Fast and
Furious," permitted weapons to land in the hands of suspected Mexican
gunrunners with the intent of identifying and prosecuting major
weapons smugglers and drug cartel operatives.
The operation has come under harsh scrutiny after it was revealed that
weapons used to kill U.S. Immigration and Customs Special Agent Jaime
Jorge Zapata of Brownsville and Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry of
Arizona might be linked to the operation.
Mexico’s Attorney General Alberto Chavez Chavez’s office issued a
statement Thursday that Mexico does not authorize undercover
operations that affect the country’s integrity and he asked the U.S.
government for details of the operation.
A day earlier, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that
she had not authorized the federal operation and that the program had
been approved through the Department of Justice, while U.S. Attorney
General Eric Holder said later in the week that he has requested an
investigation into the operation.
"Letting guns ‘walk’ is not something that is acceptable. Guns are
different than drugs or money when we are trying to follow their
trail. That is not acceptable," Holder said during a Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee hearing. Holder said that he has made this
clear to attorneys and ATF agents.
In Thursday’s statement, PGR said that, "The government of Mexico also
has initiated investigations to determine if violations were committed
on Mexican territory."
Lara said Friday that as soon as Mexico heard of reports regarding
operation Fast and Furious, U.S. officials contacted their
counterparts in Phoenix to ask them about it and that they denied that
the operation included the movement of weapons.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, Fast and Furious was
conducted on U.S. territory and U.S. law enforcement briefed Mexican
officials as plans unfolded on operations in the U.S. through January.
Lara said that Mexico would never have approved an operation that
would include, under any conditions, the trafficking of arms, even
controlled trafficking, from the U.S. to Mexico. He said that Mexican
agents participated in an operation in Phoenix in January in the
detention of arms traffickers, "but we never knew, never have known
that this operation or any other would include the movement of arms or
the controlled purchases of arms to Mexico," he said.
Lara also addressed extraditions, noting that "we have talked with the
authorities in the U.S. and with the embassy so that we can be able to
extradite persons involved in arms trafficking. The problem is that
some conduct in our country is penalized whereas it is not in the
U.S." Lara said the legalities are being reviewed so that persons,
including U.S. citizens, could be extradited to Mexico.
Phil Jordan, the former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent-in
charge of the Dallas office, who also is a former director of the El
Paso Intelligence Center, weighed in, noting that, "cover-ups on
flawed operations only enhance the power of the bad guys."
"With Mexico fighting a real drug war, ATF or any other federal U.S.
agency should NEVER allow weapons to knowingly be smuggled into
Mexico; never in Spanish means NUNCA. These types of programs give
Washington a black eye, and violate Mexico’s sovereignty."