Houston Chronicle Archives

Out-and-out terrorism on the border near

Laredo / Situation puts Americans right in
the crosshairs
By: JERRY BREWER
TUE 08/16/2005 HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Section B, Page 09, 3 STAR Edition

TONY Garza, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, recently described a brutal

gun battle that took place on July 28 in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas,
between "armed criminal groups," as having "included unusually
advanced weapons." This since the combatants used an arsenal that
combined automatic weapons, bazookas and hand grenades, in the
attack on an apparent safe house of one drug cartel by those of another.
Actually, hundreds of different caliber shells were subsequently found at
the war zone-like scene, along with AK-47 rifles, handguns and ski
masks. And if that is not disturbing enough, a state policeman who asked
not to be identified said that investigators found numerous photographs of
municipal police officers at the residence, an apparent hit list of officials
sentenced to death. Further intelligence revealed that each of the
photographs listed the officer's name and assigned location, along with
maps to their homes.
As a result of this firefight and other killings, kidnappings and criminal acts
in the violence-torn city across the border from Laredo, Garza declared
that the U.S. Consulate in Nuevo Laredo would be closed, temporarily at
least.
And then, on Aug. 5, Nuevo Laredo City Councilman Leopoldo Ramos
Ortega was shot dead as he innocently sat in his truck. Ramos also
chaired the council's security committee.
Yet, after meeting with Mexican officials, Garza announced that the
consulate would reopen Aug. 8.
Immediately following the cartels' shootout in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico's
presidential spokesman, Ruben Aguilar, said that federal efforts to stop
the violence in Nuevo Laredo "have been successful." But to those
without rose-colored glasses, the attacks and the death toll continue to
mount at an alarming rate, and the sophistication and firepower of the
Mexican Mafiosos are outrageously astounding.
Officials are quick to call this a war between rival drug cartels, and they
brazenly state that Americans are not targets of the violence. Yet U.S.
Border Patrol agents are being fired upon, and U.S. border area police
officials are witnessing Mexican paramilitary types escorting drug
shipments north onto U.S. soil.
The targeting of law enforcement officials on both sides of the border, and
specifically the planning and routine execution of Nuevo Laredo police
officers and city officials shows that the specter of terrorism is hiding out
in the open along our national border with Mexico, although not everyone
sees this clearly.
Terrorists are ideologically, politically or issue oriented. They commonly
work in small, well-organized groups or cells. They are sophisticated,
skilled with weapons and attack strategies, and they possess efficient
planning capabilities. And the differing types of terrorists pose national,
international and paramilitary threats.
The attacks on Mexican and U.S. soil, along with the paramilitary
sightings, should convince U.S. and Mexican officials, as well as the
public at large, that these are terrorist attacks. Must there be suicide-
homicide and related bombers to convince us that these are terrorist
acts?
The U.S. Embassy has offered to help to reorganize the Tamaulipas state
police. There is a lot of dialogue on both sides about swiftly bringing the
situation under control. A lot of knee-jerk lip service.
However, there can be no reasonable expectation of any police force in
Mexico having, or acquiring on its own, the resources necessary to
effectively fight gangs and groups that are so well armed, trained and
financed.
These terrorists pose an immediate threat to anyone who attempts to stop
or control them. They have clearly and often demonstrated that they are
bold and resourceful, and will intimidate, kidnap, torture and kill anyone
who is in conflict with them.
Misdiagnosing and ignoring the symptoms of this plague will continue to
prove disastrous, for these criminals and wannabes-to-follow will exploit
every weakness perceived in pursuit of their goals.
As the U.S. government continues to assess the risk to citizens and
consulate offices in Nuevo Laredo, the Counter-Terrorism Center of the
Central Intelligence Agency, and its Latin America Division, have their
work cut out for them. A week certainly could not give them a "snapshot"
of the overall border problem.
Operational and vulnerability assessments take time. Operational
planning and execution to identify high-risk personnel, and effectively
counter potential hostile activity, should be the mandate. Country surveys
and facility/personnel assessments, although needed and probably
outdated, require a systematic and diligent effort.
Findings should expeditiously result in recommendations and
implementation of ways to neutralize or strengthen vulnerabilities and
other identified weaknesses. The United States must take a stand in
protecting this border, as well as protecting U.S.-based commercial
businesses and their employees residing in Mexico.
jbrewer@cjiausa.org