VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHME #1687/01 1662317
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 152317Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6955

UNCLAS MEXICO 001687 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ETTC PREL PTER
SUBJECT: TERRORISM FINANCE: MEXICO'S RISK BASED ASSESSMENT 
AND PROCEDURE 
 
REF: STATE 020628 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Mexico:  Low risk Terrorism Environment 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
1.Mexico is a key ally of the United States in combating 
Terrorism and its commitment to work with us to preempt 
terrorist activity across the border is strong.  There are no 
known international terrorists residing in Mexico.  No 
terrorist incidents targeting US interest or personnel have 
occurred or originated from Mexican Territories.   Although 
criminal narcotics trafficking organizations maintain a 
steady presence in Mexico, and small splinter groups like the 
EPR target the Mexican government, the Mexican government is 
taking positive steps in countering the spread of violent 
actions by these groups. 
 
2.Mexico coordinates with the US on several fronts to combat 
terrorism:  information sharing on migration, terrorism 
financing interdiction, and military intervention.  The most 
active US/Mexico relationship combating terrorism is on 
border security and migration.  The US shares data on SIA 
(Special Interest Alien) smuggling and Mexican Law 
enforcement is responsive to the intelligence.  Several 
Systems such OASISS and SIOM share migratory information and 
the US and Mexico personnel participate in several working 
groups to educate, train and inform on any possible threats. 
Robust laws, investigation and prosecution on terrorism 
financing have prevented Mexican financial institutions from 
becoming a haven for terrorist money laundering.   The Navy 
and Army remain committed to finding and rooting out any 
internal or external terrorist threats by implementing newly 
trained forces and integrating the latest technology to 
assist in the prosecution of terrorist threats 
 
¶3.    Bottom Line:  Mexico is a low risk international 
terrorist environment, offering few possibilities for 
international terrorist organizations to establish a 
presence.  The Mexican and US governments have a growing 
relationship that promotes information sharing and prompt 
action against any possible terrorist threat and further 
impedes such organizations from establishing a foothold here. 
 
---------------------------- 
Process for Vetting NGO,s for possible Terrorism Linkages 
------------------------------ 
¶1.    The US Embassy Mexico City and Consulates already have 
robust vetting mechanisms in place to vet participants in 
USG-funded programs for law enforcement and human rights 
related concerns.  Adding Non-governmental organizations to 
the vetting process requires slight modifications.  We intend 
to use in-place procedures to meet the requirement of vetting 
new, unfamiliar NGOs accepting grants from the USG. 
¶2.     The process is as follows: 
      a.    All programs will meet the requirements 
"Risk-Based Assessment for Terrorist Financing Attachment 1" 
with the additional steps delimited below (Note:  The 
terrorist threat environment will be assessed on a periodic 
basis and additional steps and procedures delineated in the 
Risk-Based Assessment for Terrorist Financing will be 
implemented if the terrorist threat condition should 
elevate.) 
      b.    All new grantees, with which the mission has not 
worked with before, must submit the names of senior officers 
working for the grantee organization.  This list must include 
finance officers and/or other individuals responsible for 
disbursing USG funds to 1) implement programs or 2) 
sub-contract outside organizations to carry out work related 
to the grant. 
      c.    The USG element in the mission providing funds to 
a new grantee will be responsible for comparing individual 
names and organizations against the web based SDN list 
(Specially Designated Nationals List) administered by the 
Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. 
(http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/o fac/sdn/) 
      d.    The USG agency proposing a new grant will provide 
the name of the grantee organization and the names of its 
senior officers, as specified above, to the Embassy Political 
Section. 
      e.    The Political Section will coordinate the 
mission's internal vetting process by engaging relevant 
mission law enforcement and security elements, sending the 
name of the grantee organization, and names of its senior 
officers to:  LEGATT, the mission's counter terrorism liaison 
element and the Regional Security Office for vetting against 
internal databases. 
      f.    The Political Section will also submit the names 
of the proposed grantees senior officers to the Consular 
Section to be vetted against the NAMECHECK database. 
      g.    The Political Section will pass responses from 
the relevant mission elements to the mission element 
proposing the grant.  All data will be collected, reviewed, 
and retained by the granting organization in the grant file 
 
that will be maintained by the mission element administering 
the grant. 
      h.    All data will be unclassified.  In the event 
information of a classified nature is uncovered the mission 
element sponsoring the grant will properly handle the 
information and use that information in their determination 
on whether to award the grant, but that information will not 
be included in the unclassified grant file. 
      i.    Any questionable information will be submitted to 
the proper agency for further review and the grant process 
will be placed on hold until positive affirmation of no 
terrorist links have been received.  That data will also 
remain in the grant file. 
      j.    All new grants will contain language that 
requires grantees to conduct due diligence on individuals and 
organizations proposed to receive  primary or sub-grants. 
 
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