VZCZCXRO8602
PP RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS
DE RUEHTM #1174/01 3300015
ZNR UUUUU
P 250015Z NOV 08
FM AMCONSUL TIJUANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY
RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEHTM/AMCONSUL TIJUANA

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