“Your command of the facts is underwhelming.”
During the early 90s, DEA Operation Snowcap’s drug interdiction operations were by CADENCE (Central America Drug Enforcement Center) Teams based in Guatemala City, Guatemala where DEA intercepted drug flights that originated in South America and were tracked by radar as they flew up the coast toward the U.S. As these flights flew by Guatemala, DEA CADENCE Teams “shadowed” them in UH-1H Hueys flown by retired U.S. Army pilots who worked for Dynacorp on a State Department contract. If the target aircraft turned and landed in Guatemala, DEA CADENCE Teams would set down around it, seized the aircraft and arrested the pilots.
If the target aircraft bypassed Guatemala and continued on to Mexico, it was picked up by a NBRF (Northern Border Response Force) Team composed of Mexican Federal Police and DEA Agents would “shadow” the target aircraft in either an Aero Commander 500 (West Coast) or a King Air 350 (East Coast) flown by Mexican Federal (MEXFED) Police pilots. The MEXFED pilot would approach the target aircraft from the rear in total darkness with lights out on both aircraft and tuck the nose of the aircraft right up under the tail of the target aircraft. This was done to keep the reception party on the ground from hearing two aircraft above them and warning the target aircraft of our presence. In total darkness, NBRF Teams would land directly behind this target aircraft on a dirt road in Northern Mexico, seize the aircraft and arrest the pilots, usually after a brisk firefight.
This could get a little more interesting when working the West Coast and using the Aero Commander because the pilot would have to shut down the left (port) engine while landing so agents could make a quick exit upon landing and the aircraft was still moving. As you probably know, the left engine on an Aero Commander is right outside the only door on the aircraft and you can neither board nor depart the aircraft while the left engine is running. So, just to add to the excitement the NBRF Team would land on a dirt road in total darkness close behind the target aircraft and do it with the left engine shut down.
On November 7, 1991 an NBRF Team in the King Air landed behind a target aircraft one night near Vera Cruz and found out too late that the landing site was secured by a company of Mexican Army Infantry. In the ensuing firefight, the seven man NBRF Team was overwhelmed after a long gun battle and those who were not killed outright were summarily executed on the orders of the local Mexican Army Commander, General Acevedo. Overhead was a U.S. Customs Citation aircraft that videoed the entire episode with an IR camera.
Fortunately, there were no American DEA NBRF Team members on this King Air simply because they were tied up in traffic getting to the airport and the King Air had to take off without them. If there had been Americans on this aircraft, the Mexican Army may not have dared to kill them, but that’s something we’ll never know.
The fall out from this incident was the Democrat controlled U.S. Congress found out DEA was accompanying MEXFEDS on these drug interdiction flights, said DEA was violating the “Advise and Assist” agreement the U.S. had with Mexico and shut down DEA participation in the NBRF interdiction program. General Acevedo then went on to become Mexico’s Minister of Interior.
There was a “show” trial conducted, several of General Acevedo’s low level Lieutenants were charged but acquitted, and the U.S. News Media was so busy getting Bill Clinton elected they didn’t have time to pay any attention to the incident’s aftermath and it was soon forgotten.