EAC AMCONSULATE TIJUANA - INVESTIGATION RESULTS ON REPORTED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIJUANA 001174 SENSITIVE SIPDIS, DEPT FOR DS, CA, DS/IP/WHA, DS/TIA/PII, AND MEXICO CITY RSO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MX ASEC SUBJECT: EAC AMCONSULATE TIJUANA - INVESTIGATION RESULTS ON REPORTED THREAT AGAINST AMCONSULATE TIJUANA REF: TIJUANA 00001129 DTG 07 NOV 08 TIJUANA 00001174 001.2 OF 002 1.(SBU) On November 10, 2008, Post's Core Emergency Action Committee (EAC) was convened to discuss the results of investigation of the alleged threat of an attack against the U. ¶S. Consulate main building or Consulate Annex building in Tijuana. EAC participants included CG, DHS-ICE, RSO, DEA, and CONS. 2.(SBU) Post law enforcement agency representatives (DHS-ICE, DEA, RSO) informed the EAC that, working in a joint effort since November 4, they had investigated the claimed "attack plan". Investigative interviews of the person reporting the threat (the Subject) indicated that no actual attack was planned, only that he had created a story to benefit himself and his family, attempting to obtain US visas/parole for himself and family. ¶3. (SBU) The EAC was informed that, as a result of the investigation, the Subject making the claim about the "attack plan" was taken into custody on November 9 by Government of Mexico (GOM) authorities. After the arrest and interview of the Subject, the GOM Tijuana Region Military Chief Investigating Officer told DHS-ICE that they believed that there was no current credible threat against the U.S. Consulate Tijuana. SUMMARY OF INVESTIGATION ¶4. (SBU) Post law enforcement representatives began investigating when Subject told DHS-ICE San Diego Field Office representatives, on November 3, that he knew about a plan by a drug cartel to shoot at one the U.S. Consulate Tijuana buildings during a holiday or after-hours (when closed for business so as not to hurt anyone). The Subject claimed that a Sinaloa Cartel Cell from Culiacan, Sinaloa was behind the intended attack. The Subject claimed that he had received money to make all necessary logistical arrangements (i.e., purchase of a vehicle and assault rifle). According to the Subject, the motivation behind the attack was to exert more pressure from the GOM on Tijuana drug groups. This increased pressure would in turn weakened Tijuana groups, and thus enable the Sinaloa Cartel cell to more easily control the Tijuana area of operation. ¶5. (SBU) The Subject was asked and he did agree to submit to a polygraph examination, which was administered by a San Diego FBI polygrapher, on November 8, 2008. The Subject failed his polygraph examination. The examination determined that he was being deceptive to two key questions. (A) Did the Sinaloa Cartel ask you to initiate a plan to attack the U.S. Consulate? (B) Did the Cartel pay you $120,000 pesos to help fund the attack? ¶6. (SBU) However, after failing the examination, on November 8, during a telephone call received from an identified Tijuana Municipal police officer, the Subject negotiated to purchase an assault rifle and a vehicle which the Tijuana police officer would deliver to him. Several hours later that evening, the Subject contacted DHS-ICE representative in Tijuana and said there was an AK-47 type weapon in the vehicle ready for use in the attack, which may occur within one or two days. The SOI also claimed he might receive a telephone call the next day from Sinaloa about flight arrival of two "shooters" and he was to pick them up at the Tijuana airport the day before the attack. The DHS-ICE Tijuana representative instructed the Subject to stop any further preparations until he was contacted by DHS-ICE, and the Subject agreed. ¶7. (SBU) On November 9 at 0830 hours, the Tijuana Consulate law enforcement representative met to develop an appropriate plan to handle the alleged threat in a coordinated effort. The investigation indicated that the Subject himself may have arranged to obtain a weapon to support his claimed knowledge of the "attack plan". However, up to this time the Subject had only showed a photograph of a weapon and no law enforcement representative had actually seen a weapon to verify its existence. The group agreed that GOM, preferably PGR/SIEDO TIJUANA 00001174 002.2 OF 002 (Subprocuradoria de Investigacion Especializada en Delincuencia Organizada/translated Sub-office of Investigation Specialized in Organized Crime),needed to be informed to help investigate and deter any possible attack or threat. Mexico City SIEDO requested that the SIEDO representatives attached to the Mexican Military in Tijuana handle the investigation, and a meeting was arranged for 1030 hours that same day. ¶8. (SBU) On November 9, Consulate Tijuana's law enforcement representatives met with Mexican Military intelligence officials (SIEDO representatives) and provided the case information for use in their investigation. That evening, the Subject was taken into custody by Military officers. Thereafter, the Military confirmed that a weapon had been located in the vehicle described by the Subject, and the weapon was seized. ¶8. (SBU) On November 10, the Military Officials along with a GOM PGR SIEDO prosecutor allowed Tijuana DHS-ICE and RSO representatives to sit-in on a debrief interview with the Subject. The Subject then presented a new story, claiming that his original San Diego DHS-ICE handler had "set him up" by creating the entire story so he could get promoted. The PGR SIEDO prosecutor stated that the current charge pending against the Subject was a single charge of possessing an illegal weapon (reserved for military use). The prosecutor stated that the Subject would be transferred to Mexico City for further processing and that the investigation would be turned over to PGR's Counter-Terrorism division. ¶9. (SBU) During the November 10 EAC meeting, the EAC members recommended that that RSO provide Post personnel with a brief summary of the concluded investigation so that they would be informed of actual events rather than rumors. ¶10. SBU) Tijuana's EAC will continue to monitor the security situation in Tijuana. All members will remain in close contact with their local U.S. and Mexican contacts regarding any new developments. For comments or questions, please contact RSO at 011-52-664-622-7464, or -7451. KRAMER