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Mexico-U.S. Border Violence Must Be Taken Seriously

The document discusses the rising violence along the U.S.-Mexico border due to drug trafficking and related criminal activity. It notes that over 900 executions occurred in Mexico in the first four months of 2005, and there have been numerous assaults and shootings targeting U.S. Border Patrol agents. Officials express fear that drug traffickers and paramilitary groups could easily smuggle terrorists or weapons across the border. The level of coordination and tactics used in attacks indicate criminal groups have a sophisticated understanding of surveillance and military-style operations.

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Jerry E. Brewer, Sr.
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111 views3 pages

Mexico-U.S. Border Violence Must Be Taken Seriously

The document discusses the rising violence along the U.S.-Mexico border due to drug trafficking and related criminal activity. It notes that over 900 executions occurred in Mexico in the first four months of 2005, and there have been numerous assaults and shootings targeting U.S. Border Patrol agents. Officials express fear that drug traffickers and paramilitary groups could easily smuggle terrorists or weapons across the border. The level of coordination and tactics used in attacks indicate criminal groups have a sophisticated understanding of surveillance and military-style operations.

Uploaded by

Jerry E. Brewer, Sr.
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Home | Columns | Media Watch | Reports | Links | About Us | Contact

MEXIDATA . INFO
Column 072505 Brewer

Monday, July 25, 2005

Mexico–U.S. border violence must be taken


seriously

By Jerry Brewer

Considering U.S. State Department warnings earlier this


year to U.S. citizens of a drug war in Mexico, more
recent months have clearly demonstrated that the
associated fears of violence are justified in many cities
on both sides of the border. As well, the murder of
police officers and their leaders, along with the killings
and kidnappings of Mexican and U.S. citizens, have
outraged both nations.

According to the office of Mexico’s Attorney General,


the nationwide total was over 900 executions during
the first four months of 2005.

Two U.S. Border Patrol agents recently wounded near


Nogales, Arizona, were ambushed and shot by
assailants dressed in black commando-type clothing.
More than 50 rounds were fired at the agents. To aid
the perpetrators escape, one apparently remained
behind and used a portable radio to pinpoint the agents'
location for snipers hidden nearby. Authorities said the
gunmen fled using military-style cover and concealment
tactics, while investigators later found commando
clothing and other "sophisticated equipment" at the
sneek attack site.

This shooting was another in a rising number of


assaults on Border Patrol agents in the Tucson-Nogales
sector. Since October 1, 2004, 196 assaults on agents,
including 24 shootings, have been recorded. Making
things worse, there is a reported US$50,000 bounty on
Border Patrol agents, and state and local police officers.

In addition to the concerns of attacks on police officers,


members of the “Texas Border Sheriffs' Coalition” fear
that terrorists could easily slip across the U.S.-Mexico
border and carry out deadly attacks. Zapata County
Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez was quoted as saying, "If
drug traffickers can take 3,000 or 4,000 pounds of
marijuana across our bridges imagine a load of bombs.”

Rick Flores, the Webb County Sheriff, said, "Staging a


terrorist attack in Laredo (Texas), America's largest
inland port, would be very simple. We've got 7,000
trucks crossing on a daily basis. What's to say that
someone won't stick something underneath one of the
trucks and have it blow up right in the middle of the
bridges? Or terrorists could smuggle across a small
dirty bomb, which would spread radioactive material
across South Texas."

These Texas officials are expressing real fear about


being out manned and outgunned — and rightfully so.

Mexico’s Attorney General, Daniel Cabeza de Vaca, met


a couple of weeks ago with Texas Attorney General
Greg Abbott and other state officials to address this
violence. Cabeza de Vaca, Abbott and Gov. Rick Perry
also met to discuss joint operations in an effort to
attack the issues. However Washington too must be an
integral part, with cooperation and resources to help
fight the violence and drug war.

Recent attacks on law enforcement personnel on both


sides of the international border, as well as the
movement of paramilitary units known as “Zetas”
across our border as they escort drug shipments, are
showing a surprising and alarming degree of
sophistication.

These are organized criminal elements that are well


trained and clearly show a working knowledge of what
is described in espionage circles as “tradecraft.” Pre-
target surveillance, as in terrorist’s attacks, must be
used to gain an advantage in seeking and ambushing
their prey. The aggressors must monitor the habits,
conduct and daily movements of potential victims for
strategic purposes. Unlike a suicide-homicide bomber,
these attackers need a safe location to monitor or
conduct surveillance, a site to ambush and control the
victim, and a method of escape.

Shooting at random or by chance would generally be


“drive by” type shootings with no specific targets.

The attacks on U.S. Border Patrol agents in Arizona


clearly show tradecraft sophistication with “spotters”
pointing out, via radio, the positions of targeted agents,
as does the use of cover and concealment in escape.
And there have been other known incidents, like in May
of this year in the Laredo area of Webb County, Texas,
when paramilitary types dressed in camouflage,
carrying automatic weapons and marching in cadence
were spotted crossing the border by deputy sheriffs. An
armed unit of gunmen led on U.S. soil by two point
scouts.

However U.S. law enforcement officers, specifically at


the state, county, and local levels, are not routinely
trained in “tradecraft” issues such as surveillance
detection, counter-surveillance, attack recognition, and
related disciplines.

There is a real war taking place on our southern border,


by definition a war that is clearly an armed two sided
conflict. The stakes are high, and extended talks,
stalling and inattention to the escalating violence will
only cause more deaths and the destruction that follows
this level of armed aggression.

——————————
Jerry Brewer is Vice President of Criminal Justice International
Associates, a global risk mitigation firm headquartered in
Montgomery, Alabama. He can be reached via e-mail at
[email protected] and [email protected].

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