Documents: Mexico Can’t Keep Insurgency From Crossing U.S. Border, Foreign Enemies Likely Exploiting Open Border
Dec 14, 2010 3 Comments ›› Pat Dollard
Mirroring Iraq in the heyday of its Al Qaeda and Al Sadr insurgencies, the remains of burnt vehicles used as roadblocks in Mexico by members of the La Familia insurgent group
The Mexican government has no control of its 577-mile border with Guatemala, where arms, drugs and immigrant smugglers appear to have free rein, according to a U.S. diplomatic cable disclosed recently by WikiLeaks.
The document says that Mexico does not have enough resources to patrol the border.
“Limited resources also undermine the effort: while there are 30,000 U.S. CBP officers on the 1,926-mile Mexican/U.S. border, only 125 Mexican immigration officials monitor the 577-mile border with Guatemala,” the document states.
“The weakness of the state (Guatemalan government), the pervasive violence, the widespread corruption, and the country’s strategic location for drug trafficking are creating a very dangerous cocktail.”
The state of lawlessness in Guatemala is such that residents rely on the Zetas instead of police to provide security, the released documents say. The Zetas, who formerly worked for the Gulf cartel, are reported to be making inroads in Chihuahua state.
Several U.S. documents leaked to online whistleblower WikiLeaks mention diplomats’ interest in the drug trade and drug corruption in Latin America and the Middle East.
In another recent document, U.S. diplomats voiced concerns that Mexican drug dealers could end up buying certain high-tech weapons that Russia had sold to Venezuela. Such weapons are capable of shooting down U.S. combat helicopters.
The document said U.S. officials feared that members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) would obtain the weapons for the Mexican cartels.
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