Mexican official: U.S. soldiers disguised themselves as Mexican military

Daily Bulletin ^ | 1/27/06 | Sara A. Carter

[NormsRevenge]

A Mexican official suggested Thursday that it was American soldiers disguised as Mexicans who were involved in an armed standoff Monday along the Rio Grande with U.S. law enforcement officers.

Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez said in a news conference that U.S. soldiers have helped drug traffickers in the past, but offered no specific examples.

"Members of the U.S. Army have helped protect people who were processing and transporting drugs," Derbez said. "And just as that has happened ... it is very probable that something like that could have happened, that in reality they were members of some of their groups disguised as Mexican soldiers with Humvees."

White House officials would not comment on Derbez's claim and referred all questions to the Department of Defense.

Defense spokeswoman Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke said officials from both Mexico and the United States are investigating the incident on the Texas border.

"The U.S. and Mexican government are working together to gain control of the border and will continue to collaborate," Krenke said.

On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza issued a statement asking the Mexican government to "fully investigate" the border incident, which the Daily Bulletin first reported earlier this week.

Rep. David Dreier, R-Glendora, reiterated on Thursday the need for a Congressional investigation.

"Honestly, we need to get information for everybody's understanding," he said. "There are stories everywhere with few answers. We need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible."

Dreier and Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-San Diego, jointly called for such an investigation after the Daily Bulletin published a story on Jan. 15 reporting more than 200 Mexican military incursions during the past 10 years, as documented by the Department of Homeland Security.

The newspaper also obtained a 2001 map bearing the seal of the president's Office of National Drug Control Policy and showing the locations of 34 of those incursions.

Derbez said his country will send a diplomatic note to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice demanding that U.S. officials tone down their comments on Mexico's security and immigration problems.

State Department officials late Thursday said they have not received any note from the Mexican government and thus would not comment on Derbez's remarks.

Monday's armed standoff began 50 miles southeast of El Paso, when Texas state police tried to stop three sport utility vehicles on Interstate 10. The vehicles made a quick U-turn and headed south toward the border, a few miles away.

Crossing the border, one SUV got stuck in the Rio Grande, and men in a Humvee with a mounted gun tried in vain to tow it out. Then a group of men in civilian clothes began unloading what appeared to be bundles of marijuana and torched the SUV before fleeing.

Mexican officials insisted Wednesday that the men in military-style uniforms were drug smugglers, not soldiers. In Mexico, kidnappers and drug smugglers regularly wear police gear, which is sold at street stands.

Derbez said there was no proof that the men seen in the incident were Mexicans and that the men photographed by Texas law enforcement could have been Americans.

Three U.S. soldiers have pleaded guilty to running a cocaine smuggling ring from a U.S. base in Colombia, and a fourth is being tried in Texas this week.

[mewzilla]

A Mexican official suggested Thursday that it was American soldiers disguised as Mexicans who were involved in an armed standoff Monday along the Rio Grande with U.S. law enforcement officers.

Well, that does it for me. Either it really was the Mexcian military, or even the Mexican government doesn't know for certain.

Lovely.

[spectre]

Yes to your idea BUT an Apache is more mobile, and if on alert can get to the scene more rapidly and can archive the carnage on its video.

[oldenuff2no]

Drones and hellfire missiles. We don't need whole bodies for DNA testing. Put up a fence with sensors that will detect tampering. Having the drones already in the air and able to respond within a short time would eliminate this threat after the first few incidents.
Mexico needs a reason to respect our country and the sovereignty of our borders. Let's give them reasons to respect and fear our response to their armed incursions into our country.
Playing "Nice" with Mexico hasn't worked for decades. It is useless to continue to accept th Illegal Mexican invasion.

[SealSeven]

Members of the U.S. Army have helped protect people who were processing and transporting drugs," Derbez said. "And just as that has happened ... it is very probable that something like that could have happened, that in reality they were members of some of their groups disguised as Mexican soldiers with Humvees.

Yeah... Thats the ticket!

[isrul]

Man, the officials from that stinking cesspool of a country are really starting to annoy me.

[Fruitbat]

That's sort of like how DC blames their murder rate on Virginia's lack of gun control laws.

Indeed. LOL

[John Jorsett]

I hope someone is running the VIN of that torched hummer. If it was sold to the Mexican government, as I suspect it was, these dweebs are going to have a lot of 'splaining to do about how it wasn't their military.

[CyberAnt]

"... Members of the U.S. Army have helped protect people who were processing and transporting drugs, ..."


What we have here is just another example of the "projection technique" - they are telling us that their Mexican Army is helping people who are processing and transporting drugs. Thanks guys - this is just a confirmation of what we already knew.