What Are The U.S. Marshalls Doing In Mexico?

[cbayer]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanielparishflannery/2014/11/30/what-are-the-u-s-marshalls-doing-in-mexico/

Nathaniel Parish Flannery Contributor
I write about Latin American companies and political risk.

11/30/2014 @ 2:32PM 282 views

The Wall Street Journal claims that U.S. Marshalls are participating in raids in Mexico in violation of Mexico’s constitution and contrary to statements made by the governments of both countries about the “advisory” role of U.S. personnel. The Journal’s Devlin Barrett wrote, “U.S. Justice Department personnel are disguising themselves as Mexican Marines to take part in armed raids against drug suspects in Mexico.”

Devlin wrote that according to “people familiar with the work, about four times a year the U.S. Marshals Service sends a handful of specialists into Mexico who take up local uniforms and weapons to hide their role hunting suspects, including some who aren’t on a U.S. wanted list. They said agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration play a supporting role, in similarly small numbers.”

According to the WSJ the missions that involve direct action by U.S. agents are approved by the U.S. Marshalls and the Mexican Marines. It is not clear what higher level government officials have signed off. The Wall Street Journal article explains, “The risks became clear on July 11, when Mexican Marines and a handful of U.S. Marshals personnel dressed as Mexican Marines were fired on as they walked through a remote field in Sinaloa state. One American was shot and wounded, and in the gunfight that followed, more than a half-dozen suspected cartel soldiers were killed.”


According to reports U.S. Marshalls are carrying out operations on Mexican soil while wearing uniforms of Mexican agents. Photo by N. Parish Flannery @LatAmLENS.

Ariel Moutsatsos-Morales, a spokesman for the Mexican embassy in Washington denied that Mexico’s government gave U.S. agencies permission to go on armed raids, saying “Members of foreign law enforcement agencies or foreign military, including those from the U.S., are not authorized to carry weapons within the Mexican territory, and none of them are authorized either to participate in any raids or other armed law enforcement operations.”

more at link

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. The Mexican government denies this. But then, it just about has to.

The WSJ mentioned a July shootout in Sinaloa in which a US Marshal was wounded.

[cbayer]

2. There is so much that no one knows. The US's role in this needs to be

transparent.

[oneshooter]

6. "The most transparent administration EVER" yeah right. n/t

[cbayer]

7. I have generally been supportive of Obama, but on this issue, I can not be.

His silence about what is going on in Mexico is deafening. His continued support of Pena Nieto and now evidence of active US covert involvement are both really disturbing.

[Mnemosyne]

3. Would be interested in knowing that, myself. nt

[Rstrstx]

4. What if they're dual citizens?

Would that change the logistics?

[cbayer]

5. Only if they were a member of the Mexican military or employed as a Mexican.

I doubt that very, very much. They are reportedly employed by the US government and acting on their behalf.

[TheKentuckian]

8. Something I almost certainly don't agree with and probably of extremely dubious legality.

[cbayer]

9. I think it violates both Mexican and US law.

If this is true, it's a big problem, imo.