U.S. Marshals Service Personnel Dressed as Mexican Marines Pursue Cartel Bosses

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Wall Street Journal

U.S. Marshals Service Personnel Dressed as Mexican Marines Pursue Cartel Bosses

Members of U.S. Marshals Service Join Military Operations in Mexico Against Drug Gangs

By Devlin Barrett
Updated Nov. 21, 2014 1:42 p.m. ET

U.S. Justice Department personnel are disguising themselves as Mexican Marines to take part in armed raids against drug suspects in Mexico, according to people familiar with the matter, an escalation of American involvement in battling drug cartels that carries significant risk to U.S. personnel. Both the U.S. and Mexican governments have acknowledged in the past that American law-enforcement agencies operate in Mexico providing intelligence support to Mexican military units battling the cartels. The countries have described the U.S. role as a supporting one only.

In reality, said the people familiar with the work, about four times a year the U.S. Marshals Service sends a handful of specialists into Mexico who take up local uniforms and weapons to hide their role hunting suspects, including some who aren’t on a U.S. wanted list. They said agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration play a supporting role, in similarly small numbers.

The risks became clear on July 11, when Mexican Marines and a handful of U.S. Marshals personnel dressed as Mexican Marines were fired on as they walked through a remote field in Sinaloa state. One American was shot and wounded, and in the gunfight that followed, more than a half-dozen suspected cartel soldiers were killed, according to people familiar with the incident. It is unclear whether U.S. Marshals personnel shot anyone.
The secret missions are approved by senior U.S. Marshals executives and by leaders within the Mexican Marines, the people familiar with them said. It isn’t clear who else in either government may have given authorization.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/articles/u-s-marshals-service-personnel-dressed-as-mexican-marines-pursue-drug-cartel-bosses-1416595305

[jwirr]

1. Don't exactly know what to say. There is definitely a problem on the boarder that effects both

countries. It may actually effect the Mexican people more than it does us. What bothers me is the secrecy from both governments. What are we getting ourselves into?

[LiberalArkie]

2. I wished Mexico would allow the U.S. Marines to cross the border and do some house cleaning

The Mexican gov can't trust their own forces.

[Xolodno]

3. Easier said than done....

The Mexican-American war still weighs heavily there. They lost half their territory in that war...and a lot of it turned out to be very valuable. Add that with a lot of suspicion of the USA....well...they see US troops as another invasion.

[geek tragedy]

8. Given history, severely unlikely. nt

[Comrade Grumpy]

4. And what happens when one of them gets his head chopped off?

I see they've already had one wounded.

This secrecy is probably about soothing Mexican sensibilities. The Mexican government doesn't want to have to say it's letting the gringos take part in its drug war. That wouldn't be very popular.

[christx30]

6. Gringos aren't taking part in the war

against the cartels very much. Meanwhile, people are getting killed by the scores by cartels. I guess it's better this way.

[Stryst]

7. With the way the cartels like to send messages (with family members body parts)

is confidentiality is a bad thing? I honestly don't know.


(Don't know if anyone else had the problem, the the original was behind a pay wall for me)

[Ash_F]

5. Well, that explains why the Marshalls have been absent from bring in Federal court scofflaws.

For white collar crimes that is.