Mexican Soldiers and Drug Runners

FYI, this is happening in Arizona, too.

EL PASO – The men dressed in Mexican military-style uniforms who were involved in an armed confrontation between suspected drug runners and Texas lawmen were using a Mexican military-issue Humvee and weapons, the Hudspeth County sheriff said Friday.

"It was military," said Sheriff Arvin West, whose officers were involved in the standoff. "Due to the pending congressional hearings, I can't comment further."

Sheriff West said the U.S. government confirmed that the equipment was military, but he declined to elaborate.

The Mexican government has denied involvement in the clash, which occurred Monday at Neely's Crossing, about 50 miles east of El Paso. Mexican officials have said the equipment could have been stolen.

A U.S. Army spokesman said he could not confirm the analysis reported by the sheriff.

U.S. Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar, in El Paso on Friday, said he couldn't rule out Mexican soldiers' involvement in the confrontation in a remote spot along the Rio Grande. [snip]

Homeland Security officials had documented more than 200 incursions into the United States by the Mexican military since 1996.

Although, I'm not sure that last has a significance if the incursions generally occured during chases of criminals or other issues since I am certain that we probably have "incurred" on the Mexican side a few times. The important part was that soldiers acted as guards to protect these men who were driving very nice vehicles by the picture with the story. These guys were big time and they can pay for it.

Department of Public Safety troopers chased to the Rio Grande three SUVs thought to be carrying drugs. There they encountered heavily armed men dressed in army uniforms driving a military-style Humvee equipped with an M4 carbine machine gun.

The "soldiers" helped the suspects unload marijuana – they abandoned more than a half-ton – and torch one of the SUVs before they all fled into Mexico, out of Texas law enforcement's reach. [snip]

The chief said Mexican officials have pledged to investigate.

The standoff, during which guns were drawn but no shots fired, has increased tensions between Mexico and the United States.

In otherwords, the police were out gunned and had to stand there and watch them do whatever they wanted to do and the Mexican soldiers decided they would get less heat if they didn't kill the American law enforcement guys. No kill the LEOs, the Mexican government says they'll "investigate", but they likely won't find anyone. Kill the American LEO, there would be hell to pay.

These aren't small time fish we're dealing with. They know their way around diplomatic issues and have connections somewhere in the government that will protect them.

In the meantime...

On Thursday, the Mexican government asked U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza to stop making public comments about immigration and border security. Also Thursday, Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez suggested that the men in Monday's incident were really American soldiers or criminals trying to look like Mexican soldiers.

Mr. Aguilar said he wouldn't respond directly to Mr. Derbez's comments but they "didn't make sense."

I feel like I'm watching Abbot and Costello: Who's on first. Who? That's what I said, "Who". Well, Who's on first? Who. Who? Who.

Or, doesn't that moron claiming American soldiers dressed as Mexicans sound like one of those third world ME conspiracy theorists? Like the Iranians claiming it was the British who bombed the banks the other day and completely denying they have an armed resistance somewhere in their country?

They're all alike.

Calling Black Jack. Your country needs to you.

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