Pubdate: Thu, 17 Feb 2011
Source: Brownsville Herald, The (TX)
Copyright: 2011 The Brownsville Herald
Contact: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/sections/contact/
Website: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1402
Author: Emma Perez-Trevino

JORDAN: MEXICO CANNOT FIGHT THIS WAR ALONE

If Phil Jordan were to travel to Mexico, he would do it under one
condition: "If I could take a couple of U.S. Marines and Navy SEALs
with me."

He also likely would be armed.

"Whether we want to admit it or not, there is a war going on in
Mexico. It's a no man's land," Jordan said.

A former director of the El Paso Intelligence Center, and formerly in
charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration office in Dallas
with more than 30 years in law enforcement, Jordan made his comments
in the wake of Tuesday's slaying of U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement Special Agent Jaime Jorge Zapata.

Zapata and fellow ICE Special Agent Victor Avila were attacked while
driving to Mexico City from San Luis Potosi, where they had met with
other U.S. personnel. Avila survived the attack. He and Zapata, a
native of Brownsville, were attached to the ICE office in El Paso but
were on assignment in Mexico City.

"Mexico cannot fight this war alone," Jordan said.

"I don't know the facts of what happened. However, if the Zetas or
cartels are going to be stupid enough to take on American agents, I
think that the response by the U.S. government should be similar to
the response we gave them when they cowardly killed Kiki," he said,
referring to the 1985 kidnapping, torture and murder in Mexico of
federal agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena with the Drug Enforcement Agency.

According to the DEA, Camarena's murder triggered Operation Leyenda,
which was the most comprehensive homicide investigation ever
undertaken by the agency, ultimately uncovering corruption and
complicity by numerous Mexican officials.

Jordan would travel to Mexico when he was with the DEA and was with
Camarena there nine months before agent's murder.

"My prayers are with the families," Jordan said of Tuesday's assault.
"My first reaction was a flashback to the cowardly torture and murder
of Kiki."

ICE has not released any statement about whether Zapata and Avila were
able to defend themselves. ICE did volunteer that the Mexican
government does not authorize U.S. law enforcement personnel to carry
weapons.

"Now, if you think for one moment in time that if I was in charge that
they would not have a way to defend themselves, they would not be
going," Jordan said.

When he was with the DEA, Jordan said that he would tell agents what
the rules and regulations were in Mexico - "but I wouldn't tell them
what not to carry."

Jordan carried a gun in Mexico. "I'm not going to lie about that," he
said.

But he noted that now, he doesn't know that a .38 special would be
much better than a peashooter, "if you even get to fire it."

He said a .38 special doesn't compare with the weapons the drug
cartels are carrying, which include grenades, AK-47s and bazookas.

"They are better equipped than most police departments on both sides
of the border," Jordan said of the cartels. "They don't have to worry
about budgets."

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, indicated that the policy prohibiting
U.S. law enforcement from carrying weapons in Mexico should be revisited.

"Mexico is in the middle of a full-fledged war against the drug
cartels. It is unacceptable that we would send our law enforcement
officers into harm's way without the ability to protect themselves,"
Cornyn told The Brownsville Herald.

"Congress must hold hearings and work with the Obama Administration to
re-evaluate this arrangement and take the steps necessary to ensure
our agents are never again put at such a gross disadvantage," Cornyn
added.

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, also believes that the policy that
prevents U.S. law enforcement officers from defending themselves
should be revisited.

McCaul is chairman of the U.S. House's Homeland Security Oversight and
Investigations Subcommittee.

Jordan doesn't envision Mexico President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa
requesting a visible U.S. presence in the country in fighting the cartels.

"I don't think the Mexican people would allow any type of U.S.
intervention -- but if done correctly, in a task force manner where the
Mexican government is in charge, it has a lot of possibilities,"
Jordan said.

He noted that the U.S. cannot and should not force intervention:
"Mexico is an ally and you cannot treat it like some secondary citizen." 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D