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### Viewing cable 06MEXICO6085, PRESIDENT FOX'S NATIONAL SECURITY LEGACY

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06MEXICO6085 | 2006-10-25 17:05 | 2011-02-12 12:12 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Mexico
Appears in these articles: http://wikileaks.jornada.com.mx/notas/el-legado-del-presidente-fox/

`

    VZCZCXRO9923
    RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
    DE RUEHME #6085/01 2981705
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    R 251705Z OCT 06
    FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3881
    INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
    RHEHOND/DIR ONDCP WASHINGTON DC
    RHMFIUU/CDR USNORTHCOM
    RUEWMCS/US MARSHALS SERVICE WASHINGTON DC
    RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
    RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
    RUEAHLA/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
    RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
    RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
    RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
    RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
    RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

` `

    83079
    2006-10-25 17:05:00
    06MEXICO6085
    Embassy Mexico
    UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
    06MEXICO3117|06MEXICO3296|06MEXICO3297|06MEXICO3305
    VZCZCXRO9923
    RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
    DE RUEHME #6085/01 2981705
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    R 251705Z OCT 06
    FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3881
    INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
    RHEHOND/DIR ONDCP WASHINGTON DC
    RHMFIUU/CDR USNORTHCOM
    RUEWMCS/US MARSHALS SERVICE WASHINGTON DC
    RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
    RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
    RUEAHLA/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
    RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
    RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
    RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
    RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
    RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 MEXICO 006085

    SIPDIS

    SENSITIVE
    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: N/A
    TAGS: PREL PGOV KCRM SNAR PTER SMIG MX
    SUBJECT: PRESIDENT FOX'S NATIONAL SECURITY LEGACY

    REF: A. MEXICO 3296
         ¶B. MEXICO 3117
         ¶C. MEXICO 3297
         ¶D. MEXICO 3305

    -------
    Summary
    -------

    ¶1. (SBU) This is the first in a series of four cables
    assessing the key accomplishments of President Vicente Fox
    Quesada during his six years in office, including the
    expansion of bilateral cooperation that helped Mexico advance
    in areas of greatest interest to the USG.  It focuses on
    progress made in national security; the economy and social
    welfare; governance, human rights and foreign policy; and the
    environment.  Fox's record--which will not be complete until
    December 1, 2006 when he leaves office--was far from perfect,
    and while a brief assessment of Fox's failures or
    shortcomings is included at the end of each report, the
    emphasis of these cables is on the principal achievements
    that moved Mexico forward between 2000 and today.

    ¶2. (SBU) Summary continued: During the Fox years, Mexico made
    steady progress in the area of national security, and the
    level of USG-GOM law enforcement cooperation was
    substantially improved when compared with the situation prior
    to Fox's election.  After September 11, 2001, the GOM
    responded to USG requests to prioritize counterterrorism (CT)
    cooperation, which resulted in an increased emphasis on
    border security projects focused, inter alia, on special
    interest aliens (SIAs) and alien smuggling.  The GOM expanded
    and solidified the professionalization of federal law
    enforcement institutions, and Fox oversaw a dramatic increase
    in arrests of drug kingpins.  Drug interdiction also
    improved.  The number of annual extraditions nearly tripled
    from the beginning to the end of his presidency, and
    deportations increased markedly.  This paper does not address
    bilateral military cooperation, and a discussion of Mexico's
    persistent security deficiencies is limited to the comment
    paragraph.  End summary.

    ------------------------------------------
    Law Enforcement Infrastructure Development
    ------------------------------------------

    ¶3. (SBU) During the Fox sexenio, Mexico restructured and
    strengthened the institutions directly responsible for
    fighting organized crime.  The GOM pushed forward with
    reforms aimed at establishing more professional police
    institutions and promoting greater accountability and
    transparency.  It created the Federal Investigative Agency
    (AFI) and further developed the Federal Preventive Police
    (PFP), which have both worked closely with U.S. law
    enforcement.  New legislation gave the Attorney General's
    Office (PGR) and AFI more autonomy to investigate, arrest and
    prosecute major criminals.  Several PGR entities established
    professional cadres of investigators, analysts, and
    technicians, and AFI agents played a central role in the
    investigation and arrest of drug traffickers, violent
    kidnappers, and corrupt officials.  As a result of
    coordination and cooperation between the USG and PGR/AFI
    Special Investigative Units (SIUs), there were approximately
    19 DEA tier 1 and tier 2 targets arrested between 2002 and
    ¶2006.

    --------------------------------------
    Border Security and Safety Cooperation
    --------------------------------------

    ¶4. (SBU) Under Fox, USG-GOM law enforcement cooperation
    became more effective and more routine, characterized by
    enhanced communication channels and greater
    information-sharing, including about SIAs.  The Mexico-U.S.
    Border Partnership signed in March 2002 served as an initial
    framework to institutionalize border security cooperation and
    was later incorporated into the Security and Prosperity
    Partnership (SPP).  Under the Smart Border Action Plan, Fox's
    government implemented the Advance Passenger Information

    MEXICO 00006085  002 OF 005

    System (APIS) in 2004, establishing an important screening
    and enforcement tool that allows the USG and GOM to exchange
    "real time" information regarding airline passengers
    perceived as threats to national security.  The GOM's
    continued cooperation in APIS has led to the capture of
    approximately 50 fugitives and represents a significant step
    in coordinating aviation and border security.

    ¶5. (SBU) In August 2005, the USG and GOM also implemented the
    Operation Against Smugglers Initiative on Safety and Security
    (OASSIS), a standardized prosecution program to identify and
    prosecute smugglers and human traffickers on both sides of
    the border and save lives of migrants put at risk by criminal
    organizations.  The USG has turned over to the GOM 497 cases
    to date for prosecution (approximately 300 cases have been
    accepted), demonstrating its value as a tool that reduces the
    number of human smugglers operating along the border.

    ¶6. (SBU) The Border Security and Public Safety Working Group
    formed in March 2006 has become another important tool for
    bilateral cooperation, establishing protocols between both
    governments to respond to critical incidents and emergencies
    along the border.  It remains in the pilot stage.  The USG
    was able to further develop its border security relationship
    with the GOM under President Fox through training programs,
    which focused on using non-intrusive inspection equipment,
    detecting weapons of mass destruction, and identifying
    fraudulent documents.

    -----------------
    Counter-Terrorism
    -----------------

    ¶7. (SBU) Information sharing on CT issues under the Fox
    administration has been commendable (ref A).  USG law
    enforcement agencies have enjoyed particularly strong
    relationships with the Center for National Security
    Investigations (CISEN--the GOM civilian intelligence and
    security service) and the National Migration Institute (INM).
     The GOM worked with the USG to enhance aviation, border,
    maritime, and transportation security, secure critical
    infrastructure, and combat terrorism financing.  The March
    2005 launching of the SPP, which consists of ten
    security-related goals within its Security Pillar,
    institutionalized mechanisms for information exchange across
    agencies and levels of our respective governments.

    ¶8. (SBU) Among the most important new efforts developed, the
    GOM coordinated with the USG on information sharing of
    APIS-derived data and the use of its Integrated System for
    Migratory Operations (SIOM).  Efforts are now underway to
    expand the dissemination of the APIS-derived information
    automatically and directly to CISEN.  The USG and GOM also
    agreed to share on an ad hoc basis biometric data for
    inclusion in the Integrated Automated Fingerprint
    Identification System (IAFIS).  Under President Fox, there
    were no incidents detected in which terrorists sought to
    exploit Mexican territory to attack the U.S. or U.S interests.

    -----------------
    Counter-Narcotics
    -----------------

    ¶9. (SBU) The Fox administration has been especially effective
    in stepping up Mexico's efforts against narcotrafficking and
    the cartels it regards as national security threats.  Between
    2000 and 2005, GOM authorities arrested more than 57,000 drug
    traffickers, including kingpins such as Osiel Cardenas
    Guillen of the Gulf Cartel and Benjamin Arellano Felix of the
    Tijuana Cartel, in ongoing efforts to dismantle major drug
    organizations operating in Mexico.  Most major indicators of
    counter-narcotics effectiveness increased during the Fox
    administration when compared to statistical data for the
    preceding Zedillo government.  Average annual eradication of
    opium poppies increased from 16,002 hectares during 1995-2000
    to 19,168 hectares during 2001 to 2005 (complete data is not
    yet available for 2006).  Eradication of marijuana rose
    markedly, from 26,437 (1995-2000) to 31,550 hectares
    (2001-2005).  Average annual heroin seizures totaled 324

    MEXICO 00006085  003 OF 005

    kilos (2001-05) versus 221 kilos (1995-2000).  The annual
    rate of cocaine seizures is the only major indicator that
    decreased slightly during the Fox years compared to the
    previous administration, at 24.5 tons versus 25.9 tons.
    (Note: Since cocaine is not produced in Mexico, however, this
    variation may be attributable to changes in international
    trafficking patterns.  End note).

    ¶10. (SBU) Under President Fox, the GOM and the USG achieved
    unprecedented levels of cooperation in deploying
    infrastructure to inhibit illicit narcotics trafficking (ref
    B).  Using a combination of GOM and State/INL funds, Mexico
    installed 86 contraband detection units using sophisticated
    gamma ray technology at strategic points along our common
    border.  Other INL-funded efforts led to the addition of new
    and refurbished helicopters to augment the PGR's interdiction
    fleet; provision of vehicles and training to AFI for use in
    safe destruction of clandestine methamphetamine and other
    drug laboratories; the furnishing of telecommunications,
    computer and command/control infrastructure to various
    components of the PGR; and specialized training for thousands
    of Mexican law enforcement and aviation support officers in
    anti-narcotics operations and techniques.

    ----------------
    Money Laundering
    ----------------

    ¶11. (SBU) The USG developed strong working relationships with
    the Financial Intelligence Unit of the PGR and its companion
    unit in the Mexican Treasury (Hacienda) in combating money
    laundering, terrorist financing, and narcotics trafficking.
    Notable was the task force deployment to the Mexico City
    airport that included elements from AFI, Mexican customs, and
    prosecuting attorneys from the PGR's anti-money laundering
    criminal prosecution section.  The Bulk Currency Smuggling
    Initiative was launched in July 2002 and has resulted in $57
    million in seizures of bulk cash transfers at Mexican ports
    of entry, including seizures associated with tax evasion,
    narcotics trafficking, public corruption, bank fraud, and
    alien smuggling.  These seizures have resulted in the
    identification and dismantling of several money laundering
    cells.  Under Fox, the first joint U.S.-GOM wire intercept
    investigation was also initiated targeting a money laundering
    group in Mexico with connections to the U.S.

    ¶12. (SBU) Despite excellent USG-GOM cooperation, money
    laundering remains a significant problem in Mexico, and the
    USG would like to see more Mexican resources dedicated to
    tackling the problem.  While our cooperation with the Fox
    administration reached new heights, the underlying legal
    framework remains inadequate, and the Fox administration was
    unable to improve that framework for a variety of political
    reasons.  Specifically, the Embassy would like to see changes
    being made to the judicial processes required for Hacienda's
    Financial Intelligence Unit to certify money laundering
    crimes, prosecutorial ability to "layer" or "stack" several
    related charges including money laundering, better efforts to
    stop federal income tax evasion in association with major
    narcotics trafficking and other federal crimes, and the
    establishment of a specific Mexican penal charge against
    money laundering connected with terrorism.

    ----------------------------------------
    Extradition under the Fox Administration
    ----------------------------------------

    ¶13. (SBU) Bilateral cooperation in returning fugitives to the
    United States by extradition and other legal means increased
    significantly under Fox.  Although extradition in Mexico is a
    judicial process often delayed by a defendant's right to
    appeal, the GOM has advocated strongly on behalf of the USG
    before the Mexican courts.  In the phase of the extradition
    process requiring a decision from the executive, the GOM also
    has made clear its firm policy to grant the extradition of
    criminals, regardless of their nationality, to face justice
    where they have committed crimes.  The GOM has used its
    immigration laws to expeditiously deport fugitives to the
    U.S. in lieu of the often lengthy extradition process.

    MEXICO 00006085  004 OF 005

    ¶14. (SBU) This improved cooperation can be seen in the annual
    numbers of fugitives extradited by Mexico to the U.S., which
    have increased in each of the last six calendar years:

    --2001 = 17 fugitives extradited
    --2002 = 25 fugitives extradited
    --2003 = 31 fugitives extradited
    --2004 = 34 fugitives extradited
    --2005 = 41 fugitives extradited
    --2006 = 50 fugitives extradited (January - October 24)

    Of the 198 fugitives extradited by Mexico during the Fox
    sexenio, 120 have been Mexican citizens, with the majority
    wanted in the U.S. for the most serious of crimes.  By
    comparison, only 68 fugitives, including 8 Mexican citizens,
    were extradited by Mexico to the U.S. during the Zedillo
    administration (1995-2000).

    ¶15. (SBU) Excellent cooperation between the USG and the INM
    and AFI, as well as Mexican authorities' aggressive use of
    their immigration laws to deport foreign fugitives to the
    U.S., resulted in an unprecedented 198 fugitives being
    deported to the U.S. in 2005.  Although exact figures are not
    available, this speedy alternative to extradition was used
    much more sparingly in previous administrations.

    ¶16. (SBU) In 2006, the Mexican Supreme Court issued landmark
    decisions removing significant obstacles to extradition,
    including a former prohibition on the extradition of
    fugitives who faced life imprisonment without the possibility
    of parole in the United States.  In 2001, the Mexican Supreme
    Court reaffirmed the executive's exclusive discretion to
    grant or deny extradition based on the Mexican nationality of
    the defendant, a right which the GOM made full use of.

    ¶17. (SBU) The Fox government did not extradite a major
    narcotics cartel leader to the United States.  While
    important leaders of Mexican drug cartels were arrested in
    Mexico, they face Mexican criminal charges in addition to
    extradition requests by the U.S. (Note: Mexico has extradited
    high-profile fugitives including Francisco Rafael Arellano
    Felix, cop-killer Raul Gomez Garcia, and even drug
    traffickers charged under the U.S. Kingpin Statute (21 USC
    848).  However, none of these individuals would be considered
    top-level leaders of Mexican drug cartels.  End note).
    Pending extradition reform legislation, when enacted, would
    mitigate delays by allowing the surrender of such fugitives
    to the U.S. before completion of their Mexican sentences.

    -------
    Comment
    -------

    ¶18. (SBU) At the beginning of the Fox administration, the
    U.S. sought more effective law enforcement cooperation with
    the GOM, rapid moves to extradite a number of major criminals
    and to deport American fugitives, less corrupt Mexican law
    enforcement institutions, and better GOM control of Mexico's
    southern border.  After September 11, 2001, the focus on
    intensifying USG-GOM security cooperation grew, especially
    regarding CT, and Mexico largely responded to the challenge,
    although specific improvements are still needed (ref A).

    ¶19. (SBU) Despite initial delays, the GOM also cooperated in
    extraditing important criminals and deporting American
    fugitives, although these extraditions have not yet yielded a
    major cartel leader.  Notwithstanding the Fox
    administration's significant accomplishments in arresting
    drug kingpins and other traffickers, Mexico faces a crisis in
    narcotics-related violence along the border (as well as
    domestic insecurity more generally) that requires urgent
    attention (ref C).

    ¶20. (SBU) The GOM's record at rooting out endemic corruption
    among its law enforcement entities has been targeted toward
    units with which the USG cooperates, but has been
    unremarkable otherwise.  The GOM achieved significant
    progress in establishing more effective, professional

    MEXICO 00006085  005 OF 005

    enforcement institutions through the creation and development
    of AFI and PFP, respectively.  Nevertheless, Mexican law
    enforcement agencies, including AFI and PFP, too often fail
    to coordinate horizontally across other Mexican law
    enforcement entities, placing significant but artificial
    limits on what has otherwise been remarkable progress.  The
    GOM has also done little to secure its southern border and
    even less to reduce violence and illegal migration and
    promote interdiction along the northern border (ref D).
    While the Fox government has made important advances in
    national security relative to its predecessors, Mexico still
    has a long way to go.

    Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at
    http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity
    GARZA

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