Pentagon expands training of Mexican military

[+OverSword]

From the article:

The United States is quietly expanding its training of Mexico's armed forces, helping to reverse decades of mistrust that made Mexico's military reluctant to cooperate with its northern neighbor.

The amount the Pentagon spent on training Mexico's armed forces, though small, increased to more than $15 million last year, up from about $3 million in 2009, according to U.S. Northern Command, which oversees U.S. military contacts with Mexico.

The training comes as Mexico's armed forces have been drawn deeper into the country's war on drugs and organized crime.

"For decades, Mexico's military tried to remain autonomous from the U.S. military," said David Shirk, a fellow at the Wilson Center.

U.S. military officials are reluctant to discuss the relationship openly because of sensitivities in Mexico about appearing dependent on American help. In a statement, the Pentagon said the U.S. military participated in 150 "engagements" with Mexican troops on both sides of the border, "sharing training opportunities with more than 3,000 Mexican soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines."

The statement said the Pentagon's "interactions" with Mexico's military have expanded over the past three years. Mexican government officials declined to speak on the record about the training.

The Mexican navy and marine corps have been particularly receptive, allowing the United States to expand its training with Mexico's armed forces and build trust.

"Our security agencies have focused heavily on cooperation with the navy and marines," said George Grayson, a professor at William and Mary who has written a book about Mexican drug cartels.

By contrast, the army is a more "insular" institution less willing to cooperate with foreign military forces, Shirk said.

"The navy has earned a tremendous amount of trust from American authorities," Shirk said.

The army is more susceptible to corruption, since its soldiers have been deployed throughout the country in fixed locations, where there are more opportunities to be bribed. They have direct contact with drugs through eradication efforts.

The Mexican marines are used only for targeted raids and are more insulated from bribes or intimidation, Shirk said.

Grayson said the navy and marines were used for one of the first times when they launched a raid in 2009 that killed Arturo Beltrán Leyva, the leader of a major cartel in Cuernevaca.

The forces used in the raid received extensive training from the United States, according to a classified U.S. Embassy message that was released by WikiLeaks.

The U.S. government initially provided intelligence to the army on the whereabouts of Beltrán Leyva but was reluctant to act, the message said.

"Its success puts the Army in the difficult position of explaining why it has been reluctant to act on good intelligence and conduct operations against high-level targets," the embassy cable said, according to WikiLeaks.

The success of that raid led to a heavier reliance on the Mexican navy and marines. Of 22 raids on top-level traffickers from 2006 through 2012, seven were conducted by the navy and marines, according to Grayson.

Read it here

[aquatus1]

Finally, some cooperation!

[Orcseeker]

Fighting the war on drugs is pointless. Legalise. The cartels don't want that most of all. Is that telling anyone anything?

[green_dude777]

Fighting the war on drugs is pointless. Legalise. The cartels don't want that most of all. Is that telling anyone anything?

At this point, it isn't so simple. They have an infrastructure set up throughout the country. They'll just change products.

I do agree in the general principle of legalization though.

[Babe Ruth]

Hot Damn!!!

Soon the Mexican Army will be as functional and well trained as the Iraqi Army!

I wonder if there is as lucrative a black market in Iraq as there is in Mexico? Money talks, and there's quite a bit of dinero generated by the drug black market in Mexico.

[Orcseeker]

At this point, it isn't so simple. They have an infrastructure set up throughout the country. They'll just change products.

I do agree in the general principle of legalization though.

It's easier when you see their general market makeup. What is in demand that can't be done cheaper by a registered organisation in a factory which isn't legal?

[green_dude777]

It's easier when you see their general market makeup. What is in demand that can't be done cheaper by a registered organisation in a factory which isn't legal?

Extortion is the first one that comes to mind. They'll just 'tax' legitimate business.

[bubblykiss]

Time to see if history repeats itself boys and girls.

Can you list other nations who militaries we helped train?

South Vietnam, Afghanistan and recently Iraq.

And judging by their performances.........

[Yamato]

Well we could approach the problem like a Keynesian economist would: "We're just not training hard enough!"

[aquatus1]

Time to see if history repeats itself boys and girls.

Can you list other nations who militaries we helped train?

Sure.

China, Malaysia, Chad, Swaziland, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Mauritius, Singapore, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Malta,, Portugal, India, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cape Verde, Comoros, The Gambia, Lesotho. Sao Tome, Principe, Togo, Samoa, Suriname,Trinidad, Tobago, Angola, Cameroon, Nicaragua...

I might have missed a few. I read somewhere we have trained over 130 military in other countries.

Can you see the pattern? Can you learn from history?

[Orcseeker]

Extortion is the first one that comes to mind. They'll just 'tax' legitimate business.

That's happening in places like Sicily at the moment right? You'd hope the local US law enforcement and MPs aren't that backward or corrupt enough to allow that to happen. At the end of the day however extortion won't reap in anywhere near what the drug trade will. What influence stretched across the world will shrink dramatically.

[aztek]

that is stupid, arm them,. train them, than watch them desert with weapons to work for drug cartels, like tens of thousands already did.

[Jeremiah65]

Nah...they are training them so they can put up a decent fight when the USA decide to "take police action" once again within another sovereign nation.

[aztek]

police action within another sovereign nation. ?????

lol, sounds like a myth, however tens of thousands armed army deserters working for drug cartels, IS everyday reality.

[Babe Ruth]

Sure.

China, Malaysia, Chad, Swaziland, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Mauritius, Singapore, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Malta,, Portugal, India, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cape Verde, Comoros, The Gambia, Lesotho. Sao Tome, Principe, Togo, Samoa, Suriname,Trinidad, Tobago, Angola, Cameroon, Nicaragua...

I might have missed a few. I read somewhere we have trained over 130 military in other countries.

Can you see the pattern? Can you learn from history?

Yes, we had a particularly positive influence in Central America with the School Of The Americas at Fort Beginning.

Yes, US trademarked Death Squads gave us a great reputation down there.

[aquatus1]

Okay, Babe can't see anything, nothing surprising there, anyone else? Anyone good with numbers?

[Babe Ruth]

Can't see what AQ? Can't see School Of Americas and what it brought?

[aquatus1]

Can't see what it didn't. Any fool can see what it did.

[Babe Ruth]

Is that like the Ying and the Yang, Tiggs?

You've lost me dude