VZCZCXRO9462
RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHMC #0459/01 3511848
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 171848Z DEC 09
FM AMCONSUL MONTERREY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4155
INFO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 5239
RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC
RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USNORTHCOM
RUEHMC/AMCONSUL MONTERREY 9784

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000459 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  12/17/2019 
TAGS: KCRM SNAR PHUM ASEC MX
SUBJECT: MEXICAN ARMY PR OFFENSIVE IN NUEVO LEON 
 
REF: A) MONTERREY 453 
 
MONTERREY 00000459  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Bruce Williamson, Principal Officer, Consul 
General Monterrey, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (d) 
¶1.    (C) Summary.   During recent days, local Mexican army 
commanders have sought to raise their public profile in 
Monterrey, in particular making the point that the military 
supports citizen involvement in the public security process 
(i.e., channeling tips on organized crime activity to army units 
and filing denuncias when crimes have been committed).  Another 
of the military's key talking points has been that it respects 
human rights and that adequate fora for resolving complaints 
against soldiers already exist under the military justice 
system.   This PR campaign appears designed to remind the 
Monterrey public of the army's preeminent role locally in the 
struggle against the cartels.  In the wake of the December 4 
Mexican Navy anti-drug raids in Juarez, Nuevo Leon (ref A) and 
San Pedro Mayor Mauricio Fernandez's efforts over the past two 
months to portray himself as the region's most prominent 
civilian crime-fighter, army generals likely want to make the 
point that they remain `the tip of the spear.'  End Summary. 
 
 
 
¶2.   (C)   The week of December 14 has seen a clear uptick in 
public outreach by local army commanders.  Local media outlets 
ran pieces, apparently based on army PR materials, detailing the 
military's accomplishments in Nuevo Leon over the past year in 
terms of fighting organizing crime.  Articles noted that in six 
municipalities in the Monterrey metro region (including the 
suburbs of San Nicolas, Escobedo, San Pedro, and Apodaca), 
active or retired army officers had been named the Secretary of 
Public Security. 
 
 
 
¶3.   (C)   Meanwhile, Four-star General Guillermo Moreno 
Serrano, Commander of the Army's Fourth Military Region (which 
includes the states of Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, and 
Tamaulipas) and his operation planners briefed business 
audiences regarding the army's achievements and the challenges 
it faces.  Moreno, who noted that SEDENA had approved his 
powerpoint presentation, made the following points: 
 
--- In addition to enforcement efforts against the cartels, the 
military actively sought information from citizens that might 
help in generating additional leads.  He provided executives 
with an e-mail address to which they could send tip information. 
 
--- Crime victims need to file criminal complaints so that the 
military and law enforcement authorities could follow-up.  While 
the army did not have primary jurisdiction in kidnapping cases 
(the crime of most interest to business executives), if 
presented with reliable information it could help out in terms 
of executing search warrants. 
 
---  Notwithstanding accusations made by U.S. NGOs, the army 
respects human rights and has an effective system of military 
justice in place. 
 
---  The struggle against the cartels will take a long time to 
win. 
 
 
 
¶4.   (C)  Comment.  Bolstered by strong public support for their 
efforts, local army commanders, at least for now, are eschewing 
their traditional low-profile approach. It could be that they 
want to remind key opinionmakers that notwithstanding the Navy's 
December 4 detention of Zeta operatives in Juarez, Nuevo Leon 
and December 16 operation against Arturo Beltran Leyva, the army 
has registered the overwhelming majority of the accomplishments 
in the war against the cartels.  Alternatively, given its 
importance in securing the metro area, it could be that the army 
wishes to project its reach a bit further into traditional 
decision-making circles.  If so, while the insular Monterrey 
business community might not have responded to such outreach 
prior to the perceived security crisis, tough times have changed 
the attitude of the local industrial elite.   Finally, it could 
be that given San Pedro Mayor Mauricio Fernandez's efforts over 
the past two months to portray himself as the region's most 
prominent civilian crime-fighter, army generals want to make the 
point that they remain `the tip of the spear.'   End Comment. 
 
 
 
¶5.   (C)   As for Fernandez, in the wake of the national 
publicity he has received following his premature announcement 
of the death of a local narco capo (and his subsequent detention 
at the U.S. border), see Monterrey 412  and Monterrey 435, he 
 
MONTERREY 00000459  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
has toned down his rhetoric.  On December 10, he met at San 
Pedro City Hall with Jorge Tello Peon, President Calderon's 
National Security Advisor, to explain to Tello the elements of 
his administration's plan to protect the city from organized 
crime.  On December 14, he briefed members of the municipality's 
citizens advisory community on crime trends and the measures he 
has undertaken to respond to them. 
 
 
 
¶6.    (C)   In Fernandez's recent public statements, he has 
emphasized `within the box measures' such as the construction of 
police stations, streamlining emergency numbers, hiring more 
police officers, establishing a network of secure taxis, 
ensuring that night-clubs don't tolerate drug sales on their 
premises, and setting up checkpoints to catch drunk drivers.  At 
the same time, he has evinced strong opposition to the 
establishment of a `single command' state police force -- an 
idea floated by the Nuevo Leon state government -- arguing that 
this would mean that cities, like San Pedro, would lose their 
independence.  Nevertheless, a prominent a prominent local 
on-line newsletter continues to attack him, noting the checkered 
past of Luis Cortes Ochoa, one of his key security advisors. 
During the 1990s Cortes was dismissed from the state's SWAT unit 
because of ties to cartel figures. 
WILLIAMSON