Posted on 01/27/2006 10:54:11 AM PST by 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.
A "Big Foot" costume would be more fitting.
Why do we allow this kind of undiplomatic insult to go unchallenged? And you know it will get swept under the rug.
I'm beginning to think that the entire world has fallen down the rabbit hole. People spew things that are not simply misguided or false, but are down right silly to even think about. |
Riiiiiiiiight....our troops regularly cross into Mexico with their military vehicles and machineguns.
"Mexican Official" my sweet Aunt Jane's Patootie!
That's Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez ...the equivalent of America's Condoleeza Rice. What, does the headline writer not want us to know how high up the corruption goes? /rhetoric/
Some times I just sit here and shake my head.
He sounds more like Baghdad Bob.
Must be some renegades from Area 51.
So why don't the Mexicans shoot them and do us all a big favor?
"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."
Okay, I confess, it was me.
-- Private Parts
I suppose next we'll hear about how America's prosperity is the reason for Mexico's third world status with the criminal and politically corrupt ruling the nation.
And I know what while the latter sounds like Congress, no inference was intentional.
I have a simple solution for the "Mexican official":
The next time this happens on our side of the border, smoke them with an Apache helicopter and ID the bodies.
So that's why all our military is anxious to come back from Iraq. They want to disguise themselves as Mexican soldiers and shoot at US narcs as they smuggle drugs across the Mexican border.
It's all coming together now. Makes perfect sense!
Smoking their own product ...
There ya go. . . let 'em deal with Rumsfeld.
Bush should come on TV and reply, with a huge grin on his face : "fine then, I issue a direct order for our law enforcement to shoot to kill, no questions asked. American citizens should be fully aware of the law in regards to drug smuggling."
That would be the way to call Fox's bluff.
this is such an asinine accusation!!
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