UPDATE: SSP TO REPLACE MILITARY AS PRIMARY

241529 2009-12-23 20:42:00 09MEXICO3617 Embassy Mexico CONFIDENTIAL 09MEXICO3468 VZCZCXRO4544 RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM DE RUEHME #3617 3572042 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 232042Z DEC 09 FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9519 INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RHMFISS/HQS USNORTHCOM RUEAHLA/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC C O N F I D E N T I A L MEXICO 003617 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/23/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR MX SUBJECT: UPDATE: SSP TO REPLACE MILITARY AS PRIMARY SECURITY PLAYER IN CIUDAD JUAREZ REF: MEXICO 3468 Classified By: Ambassador Carlos Pascual for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Reftel provided a summary of the GOM's plans to make the federal police the coordinating force for security operations in Ciudad Juarez, with the military playing a supporting role. On December 22, Facundo Rosas Rosas, chief of the federal police force (SSP) under Public Security Secretary Garcia Luna, provided the AMB and Embassy staff with an update of the GOM's plans. Rosas said that 1600 federal police had already been deployed to Juarez. No formal announcement has yet been made by President Calderon. Mostly likely, the formal announcement will be deferred into the new year, once the new security arrangements are fully in place and operational. Facundo Rosas will remain the point person coordinating the new operational arrangements on behalf of the federal police. A new command structure is being created under SSP state representative Vidal Diaz Leal Ochoa. ¶2. (C) Rosas told us that four areas of operation have been created for the security forces in Juarez: -- Street patrols in high-crime areas: The municipal police will be concentrated in these neighborhoods. In some instances, SEDENA will be patrolling with the municipal police, but only until the point that there is sufficient municipal police capacity to take on all preventive controls, without the support of SEDENA. -- Black holes or hot spots: These are areas with a large preponderance of bars, billiard halls, strip clubs, and prostitution houses. Rosas characterized these as the areas where drugs and arms are traded and deals are cut. Patrolling these areas, investigating operations in these establishments, using legal authorities to shut down operations, and acting against criminal operations, would be the principal responsibility of the federal police working in close coordination with the Procurator General. -- Extortion and kidnapping: Federal police has already sent a strong contingent of investigators that will be built up eventually to a total of 500. The contingent will include negotiators and analysts; operations will be based out of the C4 (command, control, coordination and communications) Center in Juarez. Federal police will lead this effort. The intent is to reach out to victims and seek their cooperation in investigations and prosecutions. Rosas said the federal police will be working closely with the Procurator General's office. --High-value targets: Action against high-value targets will be based out of the recently created UNITO (tactical operations unit),which is based out of SEDENA's military base in Juarez. All federal security agencies will continue to participate in coordinating activities against high-value targets. SEDENA will be expected to concentrate most of its activities in this area as well as in securing transit routes in and out of the city. ¶3. (C) Rosas also indicated that federal police recognizes that it must coordinate with parts of the government running socioeconomic programs in order to reduce incentives for the unemployed and disaffected to join the narcotraffickers. From the discussions with Rosas as well as others, it is clear that this part of the agenda in Juarez still requires the greatest degree of additional planning. Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / PASCUAL