VZCZCXRO2893
RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHME #2134/01 2022230
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 212230Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7541
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/HQ USNORTHCOM
RHMFISS/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MEXICO 002134

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2029
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SNAR KCRM MX
SUBJECT: DHS ASSISTANT SECRETARY MORTON MEETS GOM CABINET
MEMBERS TO DISCUSS SECURITY ISSUES
Classified By: Charge DQ,Affaires John D. Feeley
Reason: 1.4 (b), (d).

¶1. (C) Summary: Department of Homeland Security Immigrations
and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton
and Chief of Staff Suzie Barr met on July 13 with several
Government of Mexico (GOM) cabinet members. He discussed
issues ranging from crafting a high-level working group
focused on repatriation and migration issues to joint
strategies for prosecuting drugs and weapons smugglers on
both sides of the border. At every meeting, Morton emphasized
the administrationQ,s commitment toward a strengthened
partnership between Mexico and the United States on security
and law enforcement issues within a context of the rule of
law. This message was well received by the GOM
representatives, who responded enthusiastically and provided
suggestions for enhancing collaboration on several ongoing
and proposed joint efforts. End Summary.

--------------
Press Briefing
--------------

¶2. (C) MortonQ,s visit started with a press briefing by the
EmbassyQ,s public affairs office, which covered the Federal
PoliceQ,s arrest of Q&La FamiliaQ8 cartel leader, Arnaldo
Rueda, in Michoac n, the recent allegations of military human
right abuses in their counterdrug role, and the recent
decrease in the amount of Q&remesasQ8 to Mexico by 20%. The
briefing also covered the execution of two Mormon dual
citizens in the State of Chihuahua and the results of the
midterm elections. After the briefing concluded, Morton asked
about particular sensitivities that he should be aware of and
about Embassy MexicoQ,s talking points on security and law
enforcement cooperation with the GOM. The Charge dQ, Affaires
(CDA) highlighted that cooperation with GOM has never been
better, and that the USG understands that it shares
responsibility with Mexico. CDA Feeley also discussed that
Merida has provided a way to forge an effective strategy to
deal with drug trafficking and violence, and that the USG has
a long-term commitment to working with Mexico.

--------------------------------------------- --
Secretaries of Government and Foreign Relations
--------------------------------------------- --

¶3. (C) Morton met over breakfast with the Under Secretary for
North America Ambassador Carlos Rico, the Director General of
Protection to Mexican Citizens Abroad Minister Daniel
Hernandez, the Under Secretary for the Secretary of
Government Geronimo Gutierrez, the Executive Secretary for
the National Security Council Jorge Tello Peon, the Under
Secretary for Migration, Population, and Religious Affairs
Alejandro Poire. Morton emphasized DHSQ, interest in forging
a working group with SEGOB and SRE to undertake tangible
dialogue and cooperation on issues important to both
governments. Morton suggested that developing a framework for
such working group could help in achieving that goal.  He
also noted that recent MOUs signed between ICE, DEA, and ATF
placed the USG in a better position to collaborate with the
GOM more effectively. SEGOB was receptive to the idea of
creating a migration working group, and remarked that it
could be focused on the themes of repatriation and migration.
SEGOB said that the GOM is also making a concerted effort to
increase the level of coordination between their ministries.

¶4. (C) SEGOB Deputy Secretary Geronimo Gutierrez noted that
there has never been a more opportune moment to strengthen
the cooperation between the GOM and USG, but that currently
the efforts between both governments lack direction. He then
mentioned that since the April visit by President Obama to
Mexico, the GOM and USG had not done enough to focus mutual
collaboration efforts. Given Mexican and US political cycles,
the upcoming visit by President Obama in August would present
the last best opportunity to get executive direction. SREQ,s
Ambassador Rico concurred with this assessment. CDA Feeley
assured SEGOB and SRE he understood GOM concerns and stressed
that working-levels in both governments have an obligation to
Q&hardwireQ8 our cooperation mechanisms while we enjoy such
strong executive leadership.

¶5. (C) Revisiting the subject of reviving a migration issues
working group, A/S Morton expressed that both he and DHS
Secretary Napolitano are great supporters of this and asked
if SEGOB/SRE had any ideas in mind regarding its potential
structure. Rico outlined a conceptual plan that included
several sub-groups headed by assistant secretarial
leadership. Discrete themes of the working group could be
issues like repatriation and migration. Other groups included
migrant flows, drug trafficking, human development and
integration, labor mobility and labor flows, and data
sharing. Rico explained that his office is working on a
proposal for Foreign Minister Espinosa and added that he
would commit to sending a communiquQ to DHS with their ideas
and proposals for the working group. Morton replied that DHS
would be open to further discussion on the matter and asked
whether it was possible to see before-hand a draft of the
proposal to be sent to Espinosa.

¶6. (C) A/S Morton raised GOM policies for handling Third
Country Nationals (TCNs) transiting through Mexico and
apprehended on their way to the US. Morton explained that
this is an area where the USG is ready to work
collaboratively with the GOM in providing diplomatic,
financial, and logistic support to ensure the successful
repatriation of TCNs. CDA Feeley offered to leverage
diplomatic muscle suggesting joint demarches to foreign
missions to document their nationals. Rico assured Morton
that the GOM would provide ICE access to special interest
aliens (SIAs) for the purposes of investigation and agreed to
further conversations on the matter.

----------------------------
Secretary of Public Security
----------------------------

¶7. (C) Following congratulatory remarks by A/S Morton on the
recent arrests in Michoacan, Secretary of Public Security
(SSP) Genaro Garcia Luna took the opportunity to thank the
USG for all the support given to law enforcement initiatives
in Mexico and proceeded to provide a detailed description of
new undertakings by the SSP. Among these he highlighted the
1,500 officers who had recently completed intelligence
training, the final withdrawal of all military troops on loan
to SSP, the intention of swelling the number of Federal
Police from 31,000 to 40,000 by next year, and the
expectations for a new communications and intelligence center
at the SSP headquarters in Mexico City to be fully
operational by the end of the month. Garcia Luna then summed
up the events leading to the arrests in Michoacan and gave an
overview of the organizational psyche and ideology of the
drug organization Q&La Familia.Q8

¶8. (C) Garcia Luna explained that SSP seeks to confront
traffickers from all angles. In Michoac n, it has established
a stronger intelligence operation. In Ciudad Juarez, SSP is
switching from roving patrols to increased continued physical
presence in the streets. SSP also plans to increase their
operations in the area between Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo to
better confront the Zetas trafficking organization. However,
he lamented that even though there have been many successes
in law enforcement, the perception of the average Mexican is
that the security situation is deteriorating. He explained
that, contrary to popular belief, drug related violent crime
was only six percent of total registered crime. Garcia Luna
concluded by saying that he would like to continue
cooperating with the Border Enforcement Security Task Force
(BEST) and that he would like to enlarge the scope of
intelligence sharing to include access to USG law enforcement
data bases and information systems.

¶9. (C) A/S Morton expressed his interest in continued
cooperation between SSP at the border and indicated his
interest in jointly pursuing five cases that would result in
successful prosecution and indictment. Morton continued by
saying that he would be pleased to prosecute a high profile
case where both SSP and DHS could announce publicly Q)at
either side of the border- their successful cooperation. CDA
Feeley added that the USG is committed to assist with the
training of new classes of officers and that DHS and SSP
should keep working together to improve the perception of the
Mexican population and that of the US Congress regarding the
security situation in Mexico.

-------------------------
Attorney GeneralQ,s Office
-------------------------

¶10. (C) A/S Morton expressed to AG Medina Mora DHSQ,
continued commitment to working with the PGR. Morton followed
by saying that progressive strides had been made in the rule
of law battle despite the many challenges encountered. He
also noted that DHS would like to collaborate with PGR on
criminal syndicates smuggling TCNs through Mexico on route to
the United States. Morton said that this is a shared problem
with the possibility of successful investigations and
prosecutions.

¶11. (C) Medina Mora thanked ICE for its efforts to combat
marihuana and weapons trafficking. He also expressed his
satisfaction with the MOUs recently signed between ICE, DEA,
and ATF.  He added that PGR would also like to follow a more
collaborative approach with other Mexican ministries and with
other potential US partners, such as attorney general offices
from individual states. He added that PGR would like to
discuss how the USG and GOM could create a protocol where
issues of mutual interest Q)particularly those related to
weapons smuggling and drug trafficking- could be approached
in a systematic manner that would result in the building of
strong cases and successful indictments. He suggested, for
starters, that bilateral efforts could build better
aggregated data on weapons smuggling. He also suggested that
better data collection and entry systems could be put in
place, potentially with the use Q)if approved- of mobile
units provided by the Narcotic Affairs Section.

¶12. (C) A/S Morton replied that the USG can now provide more
robust cooperation to PGR given the new interagency MOUs. He
agreed that DHS and PGR should come to an arrangement
detailing the extent of mutual cooperation that would result
in concrete efforts. Morton then added that more detailed
information on seized weapons and the physical access to
these weapons Q)especially if needed for prosecution in the
US- would be very helpful. In response to concerns regarding
the usefulness of additional information on weapons provided
by PGR to ATF, Morton said that although in the past ATF did
not have the full capacity to use that information towards
prosecution, the new MOU would effectively change that.
Medina Mora replied that he was looking forward to enhanced
cooperation and that he wants to restate the importance of
crafting a protocol defining joint cooperation and aimed at
building strong cases to prosecute. A/S Morton and Medina
Mora designated DHS Special Assistant Alonzo Pena and head of
the National Center for Analysis and Planning of Intelligence
(CENAPI) Juan Sanchez Zarza, respectively, as the responsible
agents for designing this protocol.

¶13. (C) The meeting concluded with Medina Mora rolling out a
PGR wish-list that included getting more specific information
regarding individuals apprehended during weapon seizures in
the United States, assistance with cases that for technical
reasons could not be indicted in the US but that could be
prosecuted in Mexico, continued collaboration with the PEMEX
case, and future assistance in capacity building for the
PGRQ,s Federal Ministerial Police (formerly AFI) by vetting
and training their officials. Morton replied that DHS would
consider helping PGR in prosecuting individuals arrested at
United StatesQ, ports of entry (POE) by providing samples of
the drug seized, law enforcement evidence certification,
photos and footage of drug seizures, and routine reports
generated by ICE officials during the arrest. Morton went on
to suggest that a pilot program would be established were a
Mexican official could be present at the POE. Morton ended by
offering to make available to Medina Mora, with his
principalQ,s consent, a recent assessment done by DHS on
firearms trafficking.

¶14. (C) Comment: MortonQ,s second visit in two months and
subsequent press conference were extremely useful. His
repeated messages of solid DHS and USG long-term commitment
to robust US-Mexico law enforcement partnership, coupled with
an insistence that this collaboration be effected with full
respect for the rule of law, both hit the mark with key
interlocutors. Embassy Mexico will continue to move forward
with Merida implementation and appreciates the commitment of
senior leaders in the USG to reinforce our core messages
through the development of personal relationships with GOM
law enforcement decision makers. End Comment.
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 /

FEELEY