Ninety-seventh edition of the N&O column / Spooks newsletter

(Date:Thu, 04 Aug 2005 23:16:43 +0200)

Intelligence profile: Mexico

Background

The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that the opposition defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) was sworn in on 1 December 2000 as the first chief executive elected in free and fair elections.

General

Name	:	Estados Unidos Mexicanos (Mexico)
		United States of Mexico (Mexico)
Capital	:	Mexico (Distrito Federal)
Administrative divisions	:	1 federal district; Mexico Distrito Federal, and 31 states (estados, singular - estado) Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro de Arteaga, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz-Llave, Yucatan, Zacatecas.

Military, intelligence & security

Military branches:

National Defense Secretariat (Sedena)
which includes the Army and Air Force
Navy Secretariat
which includes the Navy, Naval Air and Marines.

Intelligence and Security Agencies:

Office of Coordination of the Presidency
Dirección Federal de Seguridad Nacional - defunct
Dirección de Inteligencia y Seguridad Nacional - defunct
Centro de Información de Seguridad Nacional
Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional
S-2 Second Section (Military Intelligence)
Direcion General de Telecomunicaciones
Federal Military Judicial Police
Secretaría de Marina
Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores
Secretaría de Seguridad Pública
Procuraduría General de la República
Instituto Nacional para el Combate a las Drogas - defunct
Fiscalía Especializada en Atención de Delitos Contra la Salud
Centro de Planeación para el Control de Drogas
Policía Judicial Federal
Policía Judicial del Distrito Federal

Office of coordination of the presidency

Dirección Federal de Seguridad Nacional (DFSN)
(Federal Directorate of National Security)

The feared Dirección Federal de Seguridad Nacional (DFSN) was formed in 1952. The DFSN was involved in many "dark" matters, including the assassination of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena of the U.S. DEA.
Dirección de Inteligencia y Seguridad Nacional (DISEN)
(General Directorate of Intelligence and National Security)
DISEN was formed in 1986 as the successor to the DFSN. In 1989 the name of the agency was changed to the Centro de Información de Seguridad Nacional (CISEN).
Centro de Información de Seguridad Nacional (CISEN)
(Center for Investigations and National Security)

CISEN is the continuation of DISEN. It was formed in 1989. Today's work consists of cleaning up of Mexico's corrupt customs service and of other corrupt government services. CISEN always worked closely with U.S. intelligence services, especially during the late stages of the Cold War. But only recently have its international intelligence-gathering abilities come to be trusted by American agents. The agency is also helping to defend the USA against terrorist attacks.

Secretaria de la defensa nacional (SEDENA)
(Secretariat of National Defense)

Army and Air Force intelligence, including Section Two (S-2).
S-2 provides intelligence assessment to the armed forces. There is reportedly also an army counter-intelligence ant counter-subversion section.
Direcion General de Telecomunicaciones (DGT)
(General Telecommunications Directorate)
Federal Military Judicial Police

Secretaria de marina (SM)
(Secretariat of the Navy)

TheSecretaria de Marina SM is responsible for the Navy, Naval Air, Marines and Navy Intelligence.

Secretaria de relaciones exteriores (SRE)
(Secretariat of Foreign Relations)

The SRE handles Mexico's foreign relations.

Secretaria de seguridad publica (SSP)
(Secretariat of Public Security)

TheSecretaria de Gobernacion (Ministry of Interior) was responsible for security intelligence and internal security. In 2001 however, the responsibility has been transferred newly created SSP. Agencies and forces that report to the SSP include the PFP, CFRAI and CSR.

Policia Federal Preventiva - PFP (Federal Preventive Police)
PFP is composed of personnel transferred from police, military, and CISEN units. Reportedly, some 800 CISEN staff members were transferred to PFP'sCoordinacion de Intelligencia (Directorate for Intelligence).
CFRAI
The Coordinacion de Fuerzas de Reaccion y Apoyo Inmediato – CFRAI (Coordination of Rapid Response Forces) has mainly ex-military police personnel. One of the CFRAI units is theFuerzas Especiales (Special Forces), which is a specialized counter-terrorist unit.
CSR
PFP's Coordinacion de Seguridad Regional - CSR (Directorate for Regional Security) is composed of the combines staff of the Policia Federal de Caminos - PFC (Federal Highway Police),Policia Fiscal Federal - PFF (Federal Fiscal Police) andPolicia Migratoiria Federal - PMF (Federal Immigration Police)

Procuraduria general de la republica (PGR)
(Attorney General of the Republic)

The Mexican Attorney General's Office has responsibility for aerial eradication and interdiction of drugs, and the legal prosecution of individuals involved in the drug trade. It is also responsible for federal criminal investigations and prosecutions. Several organizations that are involved in drugs combatting (FEADS, CENDRO), and the Judicial police forces report to the PGR.

The PGR operates two Cessna Citation aircraft equipped with the "look down" radar of the General Dynamics F-16 fighter. Using intelligence obtained from the U.S. Embassy IAC, the Mexican Citations track and follow suspicious aircraft across Mexico to their landing or drop-off point. Additional aircraft carrying PGR agents are also usually dispatched with the Citations. Once the drug carrying aircraft has landed or air-dropped its cargo, PJF agents attempt to seize the drugs and arrest traffickers on the ground. Military personnel under the direction of the local zone commander are also sometimes dispatched to seize the drugs and detain the traffickers.

Instituto Nacional para el Combate a las Drogas (INCD)
(National Institute to Combat Drugs)

The INCD previously dealt with drug trafficking. Following the arrest of the head of the INCD, Gen. Gutiérrez Rebollo, the agency was dismantled and disbanded in 1997. It was succeeded by the FEADS.
Fiscalía Especializada en Atención de Delitos Contra la Salud (FEADS)
(Special Prosecutor's Office for Crimes Against Health)

One of FEADS main tasks is to deal with drug-related crimes. PGR's Press Release N° 1137/02 reports one of the campaigns in 2002:

"During three joint operatives FEADS and AFI personnel seized over 100 "hits" of cocaine, marihuana and psychotropic pills. In addition 66 rounds of ammunition of different calibers, a .25 caliber handgun, watches, cell phones and cash were seized. As part of the permanent campaign against retail drug sales carried out by the PGR in Mexico City and the State of Mexico, three operatives were conducted in the State of Mexico where FEADS and AFI personnel arrested 5 drug dealers. During the first action two alleged drug dealers were arrested, following a citizen complaint on drug sales, several times a day in a house in the municipality of Ecatepec, State of Mexico."

Centro de Planeación para el Control de Drogas (CENDRO)
(Center for Drug Control Planning)

In March 1991 Mexico announced the creation of the Centro de Planeación para el Control de Drogas(CENDRO), which coordinates all government agency activities related to drug control. CENDRO was inaugurated in June 1992 by President Salinas de Gotari and its 24 hour operations center opened in October 1992. Ministries tasked to participate in this effort include the Interior, Foreign Affairs, Defense, the Navy, Treasury and Finance, Agriculture, Communications and Transportation, Public Education, Health, and the Office of the Attorney General.
Policía Judicial Federal (PJF)
(Federal Judicial Police)

The foremost activity of the Policía Judicial Federal is carrying out investigations and making apprehensions related to drug trafficking. Espionage, arms trafficking, and bank robberies also fall under its purview. The PJF serves as the government's liaison with Interpol. Its role can be compared to a combination of the FBI and the DEA, both from the USA.

In an attempt to intercept drugs transports from Mexico to the USA, the Northern Border Response Force (NBRF) was established in 1990 in northern Mexican states along with an Information Analysis Center (IAC), located in the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. Mexican PJF agents are the primary action arm of the NBRF, responding to intelligence about drug traffickers passed on to them by officials in the U.S. Embassy.
Agencia Federal de Investigaciones (AFI)
(Federal Agency of Investigation)

The PGR has plans to reconfigure the PJF, which is much maligned for corruption and ineffectiveness. They will be replaced by a new police force, the Agencia Federal de Investigaciones.
Policía Judicial del Distrito (PJDF)
(Federal Federal District Judicial Police)

A number of smaller law enforcement bodies exist at the state and local level. Each of the country's 31 states and the Federal District has its own judicial police; the PJF and PJDF. State police are under the direction of the state's governor; the Federal District Judicial Police fall under the control of the Federal District attorney general.

Sources / further readings

CIA World Factbook
Ley Federal de Transparencia y Acceso a la Informacion Publica Gubernamental
"Mexican Security" by Wesley A. Fryer
http://www.mexidata.info/
Federation of American Scientists (FAS)
"Mexico's intelligence agency refines image in anti-terror efforts"
by Ricardo Sandoval, published in The Dallas Morning News
Brassey's International Intelligence Yearbook 2003
Library of Congress Country Studies