Mexico rejects U.S., Colombian undercover activity

Earlier this week, Mexican and U.S. anti-drug officials praised Mexican law enforcement efforts for an implied decrease in cocaine entering the U.S. Yet Mexican counternaroctics have come under recent scrutiny over its cooperation with other countries.

Earlier today Mexico’s foreign affairs office denied that U.S. “agents (or) troops” are involved in Mexican anti-crime operations. The office did acknowledge in a statement that an “interchange of intelligence…as well as transferring of technical and material resources” does take place between both countries.

In addition, officials rejected claims that Colombian police served in undercover missions in Mexico. The controversy arose after Colombian attorney general Mario Iguaran alluded to Colombian undercover work in Mexico in remarks made on Monday. However, the Mexican prosecutor’s office said in a report that any cooperation between both countries is done “legally”, while Colombian vice president Francisco Santos tried to downplay the controversy in an interview to be aired on CNN en Español:

(Mexico and Colombia) can “work together quietly under the law and this should not cause any controversy”.

“We have to break the barrier…of traditional sovereignty if we want to win this battle and have many positive results” affirmed Santos, alluding to the supposed controversy…over comments made by Mario Iguaran.

Sources (English)- International Herald Tribune, AFP

Sources (Spanish)- El Diario/La Prensa, Sol de Mexico, Milenio

Image- abc.net.au