Former director of El Paso Intelligence Center: Mexico cannot fight this war alone

Emma Perez-Trevino / Brownsville Herald
Posted: 02/18/2011 09:26:22 AM MST

This story originally appeared on the Brownsville Herald website
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."

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_17419417