ID:154291
Date:2008-05-16 14:54:00
08MEXICO1487

VZCZCXRO6479
RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHME #1487/01 1371454
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 161454Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1886
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 MEXICO 001487 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2027 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PTER, KCRM, SNAR, MX 
SUBJECT: SCENE SETTER FOR THE VISIT TO MEXICO OF FBI DEPUTY 
DIRECTOR JOHN S. PISTOLE, MAY 21-23, 2008 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Charles V. Barclay. 
Reasons: 1.4 (b),(d). 
 
1.  (U)  Welcome to Mexico City.  Mexico is key to USG 
success in combating a wide array of transnational security 
threats which undermine our ability to confront global 
terrorism.  A stew of widespread criminality, drug 
trafficking, corruption and impunity has created an enabling 
environment for a variety of ill-intended elements here. 
There is much good news, however: the U.S. - Mexico 
relationship on security issues, including counter-terrorism 
and counter-narcotics, is excellent and we have no evidence 
that foreign terrorist organizations have gained a foothold 
here.  Equally important, a resolute president is taking 
aggressive actions to combat organized crime that will make 
Mexico an even more valued partner in years to come.  Your 
visit here will provide an excellent overview of Mexico's 
challenging security environment.  While your interlocutors 
will have well-defined opinions on the nature of the security 
challenges facing Mexico -- that do not always reflect our 
own thinking -- engaging them will advance our dialogue 
greatly. 
 
Mexico's Security Environment and Commitment 
 
2.  (U) Mexico remains relatively inhospitable to local and 
international terrorist groups intending to operate within 
the country.  In July and September of 2007, the Popular 
Revolutionary Army (EPR), a domestic guerrilla group, 
attacked oil and gas pipelines, causing significant economic 
damage.  Several months ago, this group issue a communiquQ 
threatening CISEN, Mexico's civilian intelligence 
organization.  Attacks, however, are sporadic and it is 
doubtful domestic groups have the wherewithal to make an 
impact with sustained armed operations.  More recently, EPR 
and the GOM have been floating possible scenarios under which 
they would entertain a dialogue but have yet to reach 
agreement. 
 
3. (S) Mexican authorities are receptive to concerns raised 
by foreign governments regarding potential infiltration by 
foreign groups, stepping up security and surveillance when 
circumstances warrant, investigating special interest aliens 
and taking action against human trafficking and smuggling 
operations that might be exploited by terrorists. (A March 
2007 procedural change, however, has complicated this 
picture.  Instead of holding SIAs in one central facility 
near the capital, migration authorities now detain and 
release such individuals where they are originally found, 
complicating our ability to investigate and track them.  CBP 
has been working with senior migration officials, who are 
sympathetic to our concerns.  On a positive note, CISEN, 
which is our primary interlocutor on counterterrorism, has 
allowed USG officers to interview foreign nationals detained 
at Mexican immigration detention centers dispersed around the 
country for potential CT information of interest.) 
 
4.  (U) Mexico strengthened its anti-terrorism regime last 
year with passage of legislation outlawing terrorist 
financing and associated money laundering, significantly 
toughening penalties for a variety of terror-related 
activities in the process.  While the legislation lacked some 
important provisions, such as assets forfeiture measures, it 
represented a significant step forward in suppressing those 
who plan, facilitate, finance or commit terrorist acts.  It 
is also worth noting, that the judicial reform bill passed in 
February includes provisions for asset forfeiture.  Money 
laundering remains a serious problem and Mexico needs to 
dedicate more resources to combat this problem. 
 
5.  (S) The GOM coordinates well with the USG in a variety of 
counter-terror areas. Mexico has begun exploring programs 
designed to deter terrorists from using Mexico's seaports as 
staging areas for introducing terror-related materials. 
Mexico cooperates with USG elements in countering money 
laundering activity and its military is actively looking to 
gain greater control over its vast maritime zone through 
equipment upgrades and counter drug initiatives.  CISEN and 
DNI's Open Source Center recently negotiated a formal 
information sharing arrangement which will permit 
subscription to each other's open source products. 
 
6.  (U)  In July 2007, the Mexican Government created the 
Specialized High-Level Committee on International 
Disarmament, Terrorism, and Security -- otherwise known as 
the National Authority -- to "unify, coordinate, design, and 
articulate the government of Mexico's public policies to 
comply with international obligations on disarmament, 
nonproliferation and terrorism."  CISEN is the titular head 
of the National Authority which is to serve as a coordination 
 
MEXICO 00001487  002 OF 003 
 
 
entity.  The other permanent members include the Foreign 
Ministry (SRE), the Finance Ministry, the Defense Ministry 
(SEDENA), the Navy (SEMAR), the Attorney General's Office 
(PGR), the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP), and the 
Transportation and Public Communications Ministry.  The 
National Authority consists of six permanent working groups 
including nuclear weapons, chemical and biological weapons, 
conventional weapons, terrorism, administrative and legal 
harmonization and international security.  Tasks undertaken 
by the working groups include legislative and administrative 
harmonization; export controls consultation; development of a 
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives 
(CBRNE) national controls list; the national industry 
registrar; industry outreach and awareness; enforcement; 
inspection, verification and control; capacity building; and 
intelligence sharing. 
 
7.  (U) Areas of concern remain.  Mexico's large territory 
and traditionally weak enforcement of the movement of peoples 
and goods both at its borders and within Mexico make it a 
potential transit point for terrorists intending to launch 
attacks against the U.S.  Moreover, in recent years, 
criminality has taken on a growing presence in Mexico and 
engendered concern that the government had lost significant 
ground in many locales to narco-cartels.  Rampant 
lawlessness, widespread corruption and the government's 
long-standing inability to confront either had been seen as 
troubling threat indicators to those watching our southern 
border for signs of potential terrorist infiltration. 
 
Aggressive New Posture on Law Enforcement and Security 
 
8.  (U) In the past year and a half, however, the GOM has 
taken aggressive steps to turn the situation around.  Since 
taking office, Calderon has launched anti-drug operations in 
ten states, raised pay for the military, and replaced 
numerous high-ranking federal police officers.  He launched 
improvements to inter-agency communications and oversaw a 
successful effort to pass legislation unifying federal police 
forces and reform the judicial system. These enhancements, if 
fully implemented, should strengthen the GOM's security 
capabilities across the board and make it better able to 
confront potential challenges from all manner of ill-intended 
non-state actors.  For the time being, the government's 
aggressive posture has provoked violent struggles within and 
among cartels as well as attacks on security personnel 
producing record numbers of drug related homicides including 
the killing of police and military officials 
 
9.  (U) Calderon has also placed a high premium on 
strengthened law enforcement cooperation with the U.S. which 
extends on cases run out of the Attorney General's Office 
ranging from child pornography and fugitives to kidnapping 
and money laundering.  He has significantly expanded the 
number of criminal extraditions, instructed key members of 
his security team to engage their USG counterparts fully and 
worked closely with us to develop a joint approach to 
counter-narcotics through such efforts as the Merida 
Initiative, a program to provide Mexico with $1.4 billion in 
assistance to help it combat organized crime.  Post's Office 
of the Legal AttachQ has provided Mexico's Public Security 
Secretariat (SSP) with training in a variety of fields 
including counterterrorism, interview techniques, and 
fingerprinting; we also sponsored approximately 60 officials 
at FBI Training Academy last year for the LEEDS Course.  The 
emerging pattern of bilateral cooperation across the board is 
highly positive and likely to take on momentum in years to 
come. 
 
Old Attitudes Complicate Dialogue on Security Issues 
 
10.  (U) Despite Mexico's commitment to broaden bilateral 
cooperation, there are differences between the U.S. and 
Mexican approaches to global affairs to be considered when 
seeking dialogue with Mexican interlocutors on security and 
foreign policy issues.   Mexico is still developing an 
"over-the-horizon" view of the world and the potential 
security threats it throws up.  It does not share our 
position on the need for robust, forward-based defense of our 
security interests in the Near East or South Asia.  It places 
less emphasis on the potential threat to the region emanating 
from groups such as Al-Qaida.  It is less nervous about 
Iranian diplomatic, economic and political outreach in the 
region than we are. 
 
11.  (C) Closer to home, Mexico has traditionally sought to 
play a regional role that is independent of the U.S.  With 
the exception of the Fox administration, Mexican governments 
-- including Calderon's -- have generally sought to maintain 
warm ties with Cuba.  Similarly, until recently, the GOM had 
 
MEXICO 00001487  003 OF 003 
 
 
sought to avoid conflict with the current Venezuelan 
government.  Mexican officials and citizens alike have viewed 
the activities of populist governments, and even certain 
armed groups, in the region as relatively benign.  One senior 
official in Mexico's Foreign Relations Secretariat recently 
told us that even the FARC had its "historical context" which 
conveyed a certain amount of legitimacy to the organization. 
You should remember that Mexicans still view global and 
regional security issues through a different prism than we do 
when discussing such issues. 
 
12.  (C) Comment:  The Calderon administration has committed 
to significantly strengthening the security relationship with 
the United States, but remains keen to balance this effort 
against its desire to be seen in the region as an influential 
-- and independent -- actor. Security cooperation, 
particularly in the area of counter terrorism initiatives, 
will necessarily be low key for some time to come.  That 
said, security cooperation in combating organized crime has 
never been better.  We expect your visit will only reinforce 
burgeoning cooperation we are observing across the board when 
it comes to law enforcement activities.  End Comment. 
 
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity 
and the North AmericanPartnership Blog at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / 
 
GARZA