SCENESETTER FOR THE FIREARMS-TRAFFICKING

198860
2009-03-25 17:51:00
09MEXICO880
Embassy Mexico
CONFIDENTIAL

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R 251751Z MAR 09 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5830
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFISS/CDR USNORTHCOM PETERSON AFB CO
RUEAHLA/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SNAR KCRM MX
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MEXICO 000880

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - CHANGING PARA(S) NUMBERS 7 - 15

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2029
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SNAR KCRM MX
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR THE FIREARMS-TRAFFICKING
CONFERENCE, APRIL 1-2
MEXICO 00000880 001.2 OF 003


Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Charles V. Barclay. Reason:
1.4 (b),(d).


1. (SBU) Summary: On behalf of the U.S. Mission I would like
to welcome you to Mexico. The April 1-2 Firearms Trafficking
and Enforcement Strategy Conference in Cuernavaca is taking
place at a time when bilateral cooperation on law
enforcement, has never been stronger. DHS/ICE and DOJ/ATF
teams at post work closely with their GOM counterparts in
combating the flow of firearms into Mexico, but with violence
rising to record levels and large numbers of illegal weapons
coming from the U.S. feeding it, the GOM continues to press
for more integrated and coordinated actions on firearms
trafficking. The conference will help lay the ground work
for an improved bilateral strategy against illegal arms
trafficking.

NARCO-VIOLENCE CONTINUES

2.(SBU) Drug-related violence continues unabated. 2008 set
a new record for organized crime-related homicides with
approximately 6,263 killings, including 525 law enforcement
and military officials. The dramatic uptick in violence is
due to push back by drug traffickers resisting the sustained
efforts of a very determined Mexican Administration and
cartel infighting over diminishing operational space; it is
not the harbinger of failure.


3. (C) Fueling Mexico's violence is the illicit flow of
weapons and ammunition to criminal organizations from the
U.S. firearms market, as well as munitions from Central
American military stocks. While estimates vary regarding the
percentage of U.S. commercial weapons recovered in Mexico,
approximately 90 percent of all firearms seized and traced
are from the United States. In contrast, at least 90 percent
of military origin weapons ) such as grenades and light
anti-tank weapons ) are traced to Central American military
stocks. Seizure data also suggests that the weapons sought
by DTOs have become increasingly higher quality and more
powerful. These include the Barrett .50-caliber rifle, the
Colt AR-15 .223-caliber assault rifle, the AK-47 7.62-caliber
assault rifle and its variants, and the FN 5.57-caliber
pistols better known in Mexico as the &cop killer.8

MEETING SECURITY CHALLENGES

4.(U) Since taking office, President Calderon has launched
joint military-police counter narcotics operations in more
than ten states, raised pay for the military, and increased
the GOM's budget for security and justice. These initiatives
have contributed to a large number of arrests, including
high-level representatives of all the major Mexican cartels.
On March 23, the Attorney General's Office released a list
offering 30 million pesos (USD 2.1 million) each for
information leading to the arrests of 24 drug cartel members
and 15 million pesos (USD 1 million) for 13 cartel
lieutenants. Also in unprecedented fashion, the
Administration has extradited more than 178 persons to face
prosecution in the U.S.


5. (SBU) Combined military and law enforcement operations
have resulted in record seizures of drugs, clandestine
laboratories, weapons, and cash. Mexican Attorney General
Medina Mora recently noted that over 33,000 weapons have been
seized since December 2006; 18,000 of which are assault
rifles, AK-47, AR-15s.


6. (U) The GOM has also begun the more difficult process of
reforming the institutions of justice, transitioning from a
written accusatorial to an oral adversarial system of
justice, vetting and training police, prosecutors and
jailers, establishing a new organized crime tribunal and
aggressively addressing corruption. Such wide-reaching
actions and enhancements will take time to fully implement,
but will considerably strengthen GOM security capabilities
across-the-board.


MILITARY TIES IMPROVING


7. (SBU) Mexico's military plays a fundamental role in the

MEXICO 00000880 002.2 OF 003


fight against organized crime, and in particular
narco-trafficking. Both SEDENA and SEMAR, at the direction
of the President, have devoted significant resources and
manpower towards drug, firearms and bulk cash interdictions
and eradication. Mexico's military is pivotal to both
Calderon's overall counter-narcotics strategy, and to the
evolving bilateral security relationship. The Merida
Initiative has laid the groundwork for a significantly closer
military-to-military relationship in coming years and
Mexico's armed forces have stated their desire to find
concrete ways to identify ways to further cooperate in
combating mutual threats while respecting national
sovereignty.


POLITICAL LANDSCAPE


8. (SBU) In addition to growing concerns over violence and
the economy, the president and his party face a hardening
political environment here in advance of legislative and key
gubernatorial elections later this year. In this political
environment, each of the parties including the governing
National Action Party (PAN) have assumed a more assertive,
populist stance. Comments on the U.S. regarding its
"responsibility" for Mexico's organized crime problem, and
calls on the U.S. to solve its own "corruption" problems
should be viewed in light of the building competition for
votes, as well as sensitivity about several U.S. reports
describing Mexico as a potential "failed state." All three
of the main political parties in the legislature have their
eyes on the bellwether 2009 elections, and the Institutional
Revolutionary Party (PRI),in particular, is expected to make
gains. The window of opportunity to effectively cooperate
with a divided congress on major reform initiatives is
rapidly closing.


THE MERIDA INITATIVE


9. (SBU) The Merida Initiative represents an historic
opportunity for the U.S. and Mexico to demonstrate shared
resolve in facing up to the challenges posed by organized
crime across our border. The U.S. is assisting Mexico this
year with $400 million in assistance programs earmarked for
inspection equipment, communications technology, technical
assistance, training, and helicopters and surveillance
aircraft. Rollout of non-intrusive inspection equipment --
helpful for the detection and interdiction of trafficked
drugs, arms, and cash ) - is underway with $40 million for
Public Security (SSP) and 32.5 million for Customs (SAT).


10. (SBU) There have been some complaints from Mexican
officials (including President Calderon) and in the press
about delays in program implementation, but there is a smooth
flow of programs and increasingly close cooperation across
multiple agencies that is producing an entirely new
architecture for bilateral security cooperation There are
projects which have already begun to bear fruit and most of
the programs should be underway by the summer, although many
are long term in nature and will not yield early results.


FIREARMS-TRAFFICKING ISSUES


11. (SBU) Mexican political leaders are not shy about
reminding us that U.S. demand for drugs, money laundering,
and illegal arms flows from our side of the border help fuel
Mexico's drug war. With respect to firearms trafficking, the
GOM has identified a number of areas where they would like
the U.S. to do more, particularly on our side of the border
to interdict weapons before they reach Mexico. Senior GOM
officials have asked that we be more aggressive in enforcing
existing laws regarding the sale and exportation of weapons.
This includes cracking down on &straw purchasers8 who buy
guns on smugglers, behalf in the United States. They have
also pushed for renewing the import ban on semi-automatic
assault weapons that expired in 2004.


12. (SBU) While recognizing the value of E-Trace, some GOM
officials have expressed frustration that the system only
traces to the first sale source, but the weapons are often

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re-sold multiple times. Another complaint is with a lengthy
delay in translating the system into Spanish.


13. The Firearms Trafficking Conference comes on the heels
of the March 24 announcement of USG plans to beef up federal
presence along the border. DHS Secretary Napolitano
announced that the U.S. would designate 360 more agents to
the Border Patrol and ICE units along the border, and that
100 extra agents would be sent to ATF units based along the
border. Although the GOM has long complained of Washington's
"militarization" of the border as a means of stopping illegal
immigration, the move has drawn praise from senior Mexican
officials who said the initiative shows a renewed effort from
Washington to accept responsibility in the nation's drug war.
Foreign Relations Secretary Particia Espinosa said the plan
signified "a new era of cooperation" in fighting the drug
war, and noted "the determination of both governments to
stamp out the trafficking of weapons, chemical precursors and
cash from the United States to Mexico." Senator Santiago
Creel from Calderon's National Action Party (PAN) said the
move is a welcome change from the Bush Administration which
he said had done "the minimum" in helping to combat organized
crime.


14. (SBU) The Firearms Trafficking Conference is an
important opportunity to highlight existing DHS/ICE and
DOJ/ATF efforts in interdicting the flow of munitions into
Mexico, as well as identify areas to advance our bilateral
cooperation on this front. At the same time, it is important
to underscore our support for President Calderon's counter
crime strategy by:

--Acknowledging our shared responsibility to combat the
illegal narcotics trade, stressing our commitment, and
ongoing efforts, to stem the illegal flow of firearms into
Mexico, combat money laundering and reduce demand for
narcotics in the United States.

--Noting the successes President Calderon has achieved to
date.

--Supporting his efforts to reform Mexico's security forces
and criminal justice system.

--Noting the contribution the Merida Initiative will make to
the considerable resources Mexico is already putting into its
war on organized crime, and the regional benefits of
cross-border cooperation against cross-border criminal
networks.


15. (U) Please let me know if there is anything I and my staff
can do to advance the goals of your visits here. We look
forward to your arrival.
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 /
BASSETT