ID:207345
    Date:2009-05-15 21:15:00
    Origin:09MEXICO1344

VZCZCXRO5890
RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHME #1344/01 1352115
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 152115Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6504
INFO RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0035
RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
    
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 MEXICO 001344 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/CT KEN MCKUNE; NCTC; DHS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2017 
TAGS: ASEC, CVIS, ECON, KVPR, MX, PGOV, PINR, PREL, PTER 
SUBJECT: RESPONSE UPDATE: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON HOST 
GOVERNMENT PRACTICES - INFORMATION COLLECTION, SCREENING 
AND SHARING 
 
REF: STATE 00032287 
 
Classified By: Charles Barclay, Political Counselor for 
reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Below please find Post's updated responses regarding
host government's policies toward and capabilities for
collection of biographic and biometric data for terrorist
screening purposes. The responses are keyed to the questions
per reftel. All questions are included but only updated
responses and additions are annotated.
 
A. Watchlisting:
 
-- If host government maintains a "watchlist," how many records
does the watchlist contain, and how many are terrorist-related?
 
NO CHANGE
 
-- Which ministry or office maintains the watchlist?
 
NO CHANGE
 
B. Traveler Information Collection:
 
--  What are the country's policies (legislation, mandates, etc.)
on collecting information from travelers arriving in the
country?
 
(ORIGINAL) THE MEXICAN NATIONAL IMMIGRATION INSTITUTE (INM)
COLLECTS TRAVELER INFORMATION FROM TRAVELERS ARRIVING IN THE
COUNTRY VIA AIR. ON ARRIVAL AT MAJOR AIRPORTS, INM SCANS
INFORMATION FROM PASSPORTS AND COLLECTS DATA ON AIRLINE,
FLIGHT NUMBERS, DATES OF ENTRY AND EXIT, DATE OF BIRTH, LAST
NAME, TYPE OF TRAVEL DOCUMENT PRESENTED, PASSPORT NUMBER, AND
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.
 
(UPDATE - ADDITIONAL) AT THIS TIME SIOM (SISTEMA INTEGRAL
OPERACION MIGRATION) IS AVAILABLE AT 13 AIRPORTS AND 2 SEA
PORTS. THROUGH THE MERIDA INITIATIVE ALL PORTS OF ENTRY WILL
BE EQUIPPED WITH SIOM. THE SYSTEM IS SIMILAR TO USVISIT USED
BY CVP AT ALL P.O.E.
 
--  Are there different policies for air, sea, and land entry
and for domestic flights?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  Who collects traveler information?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  What are the policies of the collecting agency to share that
information with foreign governments?
 
NO CHANGE
 
-- Does the host government collect Passenger Name Record (PNR)
data on incoming commercial flights or vessels? Is this data
used for intelligence or law enforcement purposes to screen
travelers? Does host government have any existing treaties to
share PNR data?
 
NO CHANGE
 
-- If applicable, have advance passenger information systems (APIS),
interactive advanced passenger information systems (IAPIS), or
electronic travel authority systems been effective at
 
MEXICO 00001344 002 OF 006
 
detecting other national security threats, such as wanted
criminals?
 
NO CHANGE
 
C. Border Control and Screening:
 
-- Does the host government employ software to screen travelers of
security interest?
 
NO CHANGE
 
-- Are all travelers tracked electronically, or only non-host-
country nationals? What is the frequency of travelers being
"waived through" because they hold up what appears to be an
appropriate document, but whose information is not actually
recorded electronically? What is the estimated percentage of
non-recorded crossings, entries and exits?
 
(ORIGINAL) GOM TRACKS ALL INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAVELERS
ELECTRONICALLY, BUT NOT DOMESTIC AIR TRAVELERS. AIR TRAVELERS
ARE TRACKED ELECTRONICALLY ONLY ON ENTRY INTO THE COUNTRY, BUT
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ARE GENERALLY NOT VALIDATED ON EXIT. AS
OPPOSED TO AIR TRAVEL, TRAVELERS ENTERING BY LAND OR SEA ARE
NOT ACTUALLY SCREENED NOR RECORDED ELECTRONICALLY AND ARE
FREQUENTLY "WAIVED THROUGH." THE PERCENTAGE OF NON-RECORDED
CROSSINGS, ENTRIES AND EXITS IS NOT KNOWN.
 
(UPDATE - ADDITIONAL) ALL THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS (TCN) NEED
NEED TO REGISTER WITH INM
 
-- Do host government border control officials have the authority
to use other criminal data when making decisions on who can
enter the country? If so, please describe this authority
(legislation, mandates, etc).
 
NO CHANGE
 
 -- What are the host government's policies on questioning,
detaining and denying entry to individuals presenting
themselves at a point of entry into the country? Which agency
would question, detain, or deny entry?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  How well does information sharing function within the host
government, e.g., if there is a determination that someone
with a valid host-government visa is later identified with
terrorism, how is this communicated and resolved internally?
 
NO CHANGE
 
D. Biometric Collection:
 
-- Are biometric systems integrated for all active POEs?
What are the systems and models used?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  Are all passengers screened for the biometric or does the host
government target a specific population for collection (i.e.
host country nationals)? Do the biometric collection systems
look for a one to one comparison (ensure the biometric
presented matches the one stored on the e-Passport) or one to
many comparison (checking the biometric presented against a
database of known biometrics)?
 
NO CHANGE
 
-- If biometric systems are in place, does the host government know of
any countermeasures that have been used or attempted to
 
MEXICO 00001344 003 OF 006
 
defeat biometric checkpoints?

NOT APPLICABLE.
 
-- What are the host government's policies on collecting the
fingerprints of travelers coming into the country?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  Which agency is responsible for the host government's
fingerprint system?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  Are the fingerprint programs in place NIST, INT-I, EFTS, UK1
or RTID compliant?
 
NOT APPLICABLE.
 
--  Are the fingerprints collected as flats or rolled? Which
agency collects the fingerprints?
 
NO CHANGE
 
E. Passports:
 
--  If the host government issues a machine-readable passport
containing biometric information, does the host government
share the public key required to read the biometric
information with any other governments? If so, which
governments?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  Does the host government issue replacement passports for full or
limited validity (e.g. the time remaining on the original
passports, fixed validity for a replacement, etc.)?
 
(UPDATE) REPLACEMENT PASSPORTS ARE ISSUED FOR FULL VALIDITY.
PASSPORT VALIDITY IS ONE YEAR FOR CHILDREN 5 YEARS AND
YOUNGER, THREE YEARS FOR 6-18 YEARS, SIX OR TEN YEARS BASED ON
PAYMENT FOR 19 YEARS AND OLDER.
 
--  Does the host government have special regulations/procedures for
dealing with "habitual" losers of passports or bearers who
have reported their passports stolen multiple times?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  Are replacement passports of the same or different appearance
and page length as regular passports (do they have something
along the lines of our emergency partial duration passports)?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  Do emergency replacement passports contain the same or fewer
biometric fields as regular-issue passports?
 
NOT APPLICABLE
 
--  Where applicable, has Post noticed any increase in the number
of replacement or "clean" (i.e. no evidence of prior travel)
passports used to apply for U.S. visas?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  Are replacement passports assigned a characteristic number
series or otherwise identified?
 
NO CHANGE
 
F. Fraud Detection
 
-  How robust is fraud detection and how actively are instances
 
MEXICO 00001344 004 OF 006
 
of fraud involving documents followed up?
 
(ORIGINAL) MEXICAN FRAUD PREVENTION EFFORTS AT POINTS OF ENTRY
ARE BELIEVED TO BE INCONSISTENT AND NOT TERRIBLY EFFECTIVE.
MANY SPECIAL INTEREST ALIENS USE FRAUDULENT PASSPORTS FROM
THIRD PARTY COUNTRIES.
 
(UPDATE - ADDITIONAL) A NEW MEXICAN PASSPORT ANTI-FRAUD UNIT
WITHIN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE (PGR) IS BEING CREATED TO
INVESTIGATE PASSPORT FRAUD. THERE IS NO TIMETABLE OR
INDICATION FROM PGR WHEN THIS UNIT WILL BE OPERATIONAL
 
(UPDATE - ADDITIONAL) - CBP IN CONJUNCTION WITH FPU PROVIDE
CONTINUED TRAINING TO INM/SSP AND PFP OFFICERS.
 
--  How are potentially fraudulently issued documents taken
out of circulation, or made harder to use?
 
(ORIGINAL) THESE DOCUMENTS ARE CONFISCATED BY THE NATIONAL
IMMIGRATION INSTITUTE (INM) DURING DETENTION. THE LEGITIMACY
OF BIRTH CERTIFICATES, VOTER IDENTIFICATION CARDS, OR
PROFESSIONAL LICENSES (CEDULAS PROFESIONALES) MAY BE CHECKED
THROUGH MEXICAN CIVIL REGISTRIES OR ON-LINE DATA BASES.
 
(ORIGINAL) WHILE THE MEXICAN PASSPORT ITSELF IS VERY SECURE,
FPU AMBEMBASSY MEXICO CITY HAS A NUMBER OF CONCERNS REGARDING
THE SECURITY OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS ITSELF. MEXICAN
PASSPORTS ARE ISSUED BY 113 LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND IN A NUMBER
OF INSTANCES, NON-MEXICANS HAVE ACQUIRED VALID MEXICAN
PASSPORTS WITH FALSE DOCUMENTATION. FPU MEXICO CITY IS WORKING
WITH THE SECRETARIAT OF FOREIGN RELATIONS (SRE) TO ADDRESS
THIS ISSUE AND TO ESTABLISH A FRAUD PREVENTION PROGRAM WITHIN
SRE.
 
(UPDATE -ADDITIONAL) GENUINE MEXICAN PASSPORTS ARE EASY TO
OBTAIN WITH FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTS WITH NO ADDITIONAL RIGOR FOR
TCN
 
G. Privacy and Data Security
 
--  What are the country's policies on records related to the
questioning, detention or removal of individuals encountered
at points of entry into the country? How are those records stored,
and for how long?
 
NO CHANGE
 
-- What are the country's restrictions on the collection or use of
sensitive data?
 
NO CHANGE
 
-- What are the requirements to provide notice to the public on
the implementation of new databases of records?
 
NO CHANGE
 
-- Are there any laws relating to security features for government
computer systems that hold personally identifying information?
 
NO CHANGE
 
-- What are the rules on an individual's ability to access data
that homeland security agencies hold about them?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  Are there different rules for raw data (name, date of
 
MEXICO 00001344 005 OF 006
 
birth, etc.) versus case files (for example, records about
enforcement actions)?
 
NOT KNOWN AT THIS TIME.
 
--  Does a non-citizen/resident have the right to sue the government
to obtain these types of data?
 
NO CHANGE
 
H. Immigration Data Bases:
 
--  What computerized immigration databases are used to track
entries and exits?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  Is the immigration database available at all ports of entry
(POEs)?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  If immigration databases are available at some POEs, but not
all, how does the host government decide which POEs will
receive the tool?
 
NOT APPLICABLE.
 
--  What problems, if any, limit the effectiveness of the systems?
For example, limited training, power brownouts, budgetary
restraints, corruption, etc.?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  How often are national immigration databases updated?
 
NO CHANGE
 
I. Watchlist and Information Sharing:
 
--  Is there a name-based watchlist system used to screen
travelers at POEs?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  What domestic sources of information populate the name-based
watchlist, i.e. names of deported persons, terrorist lookouts,
criminal wants/warrants?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  What international watchlists do the host government use for
screening individuals, e.g. Interpol or TSA No Fly lists, UN,
etc.?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  What bilateral/multilateral watchlist agreements exist between
host government and its neighbors?
 
NO CHANGE
 
J. Biometrics:
 
--  Are biometric systems in place at ports of entry (air, land,
sea)? If no, does host government have plans to install such a
system?
 
NO CHANGE
 
--  If biometric systems are available at some POEs, but not all, how
does the host government decide which POEs will receive the
tool?
 
MEXICO 00001344 006 OF 006
 
NOT APPLICABLE.
 
--  What biometric technologies, if any, does the host government use,
i.e. fingerprint identification, facial recognition, iris
recognition, hand geometry, retinal identification, DNA-based
identification, keystroke dynamics, gait analysis? Are the
systems ICAO compliant?
 
NOT APPLICABLE.
 
--  Does the host government issue a machine-readable passport
containing biometric information? If e-Passports are issued,
what biometric information is included on the document, i.e.
fingerprint, iris, facial recognition, etc? If not, does host
government plan to issue a biometric document in the future?
When?
 
NO CHANGE
 
K. Identifying Appropriate Partners: Department would
appreciate post's assessment of whether host government would
be an appropriate partner in data sharing. Considerations
include whether host government watchlists may include
political dissidents (as opposed or in addition to
terrorists), and whether host governments would share or use
U.S. watchlist data inappropriately, etc.
 
-- Are there political realities which would preclude a country
from entering into a formal data-sharing agreement with the U.S?
 
(UPDATED) WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE "MERIDA INITIATIVE"
INFORMATION SHARING ACROSS AGENCIES INCLUDING THE MILITARY HAS
OCCURRED AT UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS. AS PART OF THE MERIDA
INITIATIVE A PACKAGE OF AGREEMENTS ARE BEING NAGOCIATED FOR
OFFICIAL INFORMATION SHARING BUT NO TIMETABLE HAS BEEN
DISCUSSED ON ROLLOUT. LACK OF THESE OFFICIAL AGREEMENTS HAS
NOT RESTRICTED THE RECENTLY ENHANCED EFFORTS TO GATHER AND
PROVIDE INFORMATION RECIPROCALLY.
 
-- Is the host country's legal system sufficiently developed to
adequately provide safeguards for the protection and nondisclosure
of information?
 
NO CHANGE
 
-- How much information sharing does the host country do
internally? Is there a single consolidated database, for
example? If not, do different ministries share information
amongst themselves?
 
NO CHANGE
 
-- How does the country define terrorism? Are there legal
statutes that do so?
 
NO CHANGE
 
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity
and the North American Partnership Blog at
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap /

BASSETT