Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MEXICO1854
2007-04-13 22:28:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Mexico
Cable title:  

ONDCP WALTERS MEETINGS WITH MEXICAN OFFICIALS

Tags:  SNAR PREL MX 
pdf how-to read a cable
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104379
2007-04-13 22:28:00
07MEXICO1854
Embassy Mexico
CONFIDENTIAL
07MEXICO965|07MEXICO966
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DE RUEHME #1854/01 1032228
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TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6452

TAGS: SNAR PREL MX
C O N F I D E N T I A L MEXICO 001854

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2017
TAGS: SNAR PREL MX
SUBJECT: ONDCP WALTERS MEETINGS WITH MEXICAN OFFICIALS
REF: A. MEXICO 965

B. MEXICO 966

Classified By: NAS Director Scott Danaher for Reason 1.4 (B, D)

104379
2007-04-13 22:28:00
07MEXICO1854
Embassy Mexico
CONFIDENTIAL
07MEXICO965|07MEXICO966
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHME #1854/01 1032228
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 132228Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6452

TAGS: SNAR PREL MX
C O N F I D E N T I A L MEXICO 001854

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2017
TAGS: SNAR PREL MX
SUBJECT: ONDCP WALTERS MEETINGS WITH MEXICAN OFFICIALS
REF: A. MEXICO 965

B. MEXICO 966

Classified By: NAS Director Scott Danaher for Reason 1.4 (B, D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The February 27 visit by John Walters (ONDCP)
helped initiate coordination with the newly installed
Calderon Administration. In separate meetings with Attorney
General Medina Mora and Public Security Secretary Garcia
Luna, Director Walters emphasized the importance of
information sharing for interdiction and for attacking drug
trafficking organizations. Noting that the U.S. was awaiting
Mexican thoughts about a strategic counter-drug partnership,
he urged early operational cooperation, and discouraged
megaprograms as likely to be too ponderous to be effective.
He emphasized U.S. willingness to work in partnership with
Mexico at the Southwest Border, and on database and
information sharing, arms trafficking, specific law
enforcement operations, and training and equipment suited for
requirements identified by Mexico. While ONDCP Director
Walters pressed Mexican naval officials for progress on a
maritime agreement, they remained reticent on the subject
although generally open to better U.S.-Mexico cooperation.
END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) On February 27, John Walters (Director of the White
House Office of National Drug Control Policy - ONDCP) and
staff visited Mexico City for meetings with leaders of the
newly installed Calderon Administration, including Eduardo
Medina Mora (Attorney General) and Genaro Garcia Luna
(Secretary for Public Security). Walters also met with the
Army (SEDENA),the Navy and GOM health authorities.


3. (SBU) In Walters, meeting with Eduardo Medina Mora, the
AG reemphasized many topics raised with recent USG visitors
(reftels),including the GOM's priority on attacking the
cartels, improving interdiction (with an emphasis on
methamphetamines and a reorientation towards Mexico's
southern border),improving eradication, improving anti-money
laundering efforts, stemming the growth of small-scale drug
dealing, promoting prevention and rehabilitation, improving
intelligence gathering and assessing and countering arms

trafficking. The AG emphasized the need for both governments
to break down the partitions that artificially divide our
respective anti-money laundering efforts, and to seek new
means to pursue money launderers. The AG also focused in on
the threat of Chinese exports of methamphetamine precursors,
asking for USG help in urging the Chinese to better control
their exports and in improving coordination of inspection of
trade and interdiction of illicit goods transiting Long Beach
destined for Mexico.


4. (C) Walters expressed his concern for ensuring that
top-level people in the Mexican policy community have
adequate personal protection to prevent traffickers from
defeating significant reforms by intimidation and selective
assassination. With respect to Mexican concerns about weapons
entering from the United States, Walters told Medina that ATF
was prepared to conduct serial number traces of all weapons
referred by Mexican authorities, and that the U.S. would
initiate proactive surveillance and investigation of gun
shows and other sources in the Southwest Border area,
particularly the sales of armor piercing munitions. Medina
acknowledged the importance of serial number traces, but
requested a level of information sharing that would provide
Mexican access to information about purchasers of
military-style munitions and pro-actively put them in a
position to arrest and prosecute.


5. (C) With respect to cash movements, Walters said the U.S.
would be prepared to follow Mexico's lead, but suggested that
strengthening investigations and invocation of U.S. foreign
assets control legislation could effectively hit traffickers
cash supply and cause considerable disruption.


6. (C) Turning to methamphetamine, Walters reviewed
consultations with his German, Indian and Chinese
counterparts, as well as in international organizations,
noting U.S. interest in working to control precursor
chemicals at the source. He added that if the Attorney
General thought it would advance policy, the two of them
might approach the Chinese jointly -- a proposal Medina
accepted.


7. (C) Moving to legislation currently in the Mexican
Congress to expand the authority of state and local
jurisdictions to enforce drug laws, Walters suggested a
sustained dialogue as the legislation advanced.


8. (SBU) Walters discussed the pending reorganization of the
federal police forces into a single entity in his meeting
with Genaro Garcia Luna. GGL is ambitious, hoping to reverse
the endemic corruption that has afflicted the SSP personnel,
essentially by paying his staff better, introducing more
stringent selection criteria and vetting all 20,000 of them.
(In coming years, this staffing level will likely rise to
40,000.) Walters also emphasized the USG's desire to see
better coordination with ATF on arms trafficking.


9. (SBU) In meetings at SEDENA with Gen. Oliver Cen (Deputy
Chief of Staff for Operations) and Gen. Morafin
(Intelligence),the Army emphasized its need for help with
demand reduction amongst its own elements, as well as more
broadly; this was especially true with regards to
methamphetamine use in Mexico. Gen. Oliver also noted the
shift of responsibility for all forms of eradication to the
military, with the Office of the Attorney General (PGR)
transferring to SEDENA the equipment (aircraft, parts and
facilities) PGR had used previously for aerial fumigation of
opium poppy. SEDENA planned to adopt a new standard operating
procedure in its manual eradication activities, employing
dozens of surge operations with a more focused approach for
maximum impact, instead of permanently deploying the
20,000-30,000 troops that SEDENA and Marina have fielded in
the past. They also discussed VIP security, which is the
responsibility of SEDENA. Walters noted that ATF was willing
to work with SEDENA to address the rampant arms smuggling
that feeds into the violence associated with Mexico's drug
trafficking organizations (DTOs).


10. (SBU) In a working lunch with the DCM and Navy (Marina)
Admiral Enrique Henaro Galan (Chief of Staff, CNO),Admiral
Roberto Gomez Caranza (Deputy Chief of Operations) and
others, Walters pressed for Mexican consideration of a
maritime agreement. While generally friendly, the Navy
delegation indicated that cooperation could be improved
outside the context of a formal agreement, and suggested that
the Secretariat of Foreign Relations (SRE) was the better
place to press the issue of an agreement. The luncheon made
clear the excellent relationship that exists between the Navy
and the U.S. Coast Guard representative at post, and
highlighted the Navy's general interest in cooperating with
the U.S.


11. (SBU) In a final meeting with Mauricio Hernandez Avila
(Under Secretary of Health for Prevention and Promotion) and
Dr. Carlos Rodriguez Ajenjo (Technical Secretary of National
Council Against Addiction - CONADIC),Walters shared insights
on the means by which ONDCP tracked real-time changes in drug
usage in the United States. Hernandez recounted his hope that
the past de facto policy of tolerance for illicit use of
drugs and alcohol by minors at the individual level would be
changed in the Calderon administration. There was a huge
bulge in the population profile, with a youth cohort aging
into adulthood, and with high levels of abuse of all drugs of
concern, including tobacco. The powerful alcohol industry
created demand in ads aimed at youths and young adults,
complicating any message the GOM might put out. Hernandez
also noted a desire to pair cities along the border in an
attempt to address illicit consumption of drugs, alcohol and
cigarettes among youth.


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