US drones helping to track down Mexican drug gangs

Mar 16, 2011, 19:58 GMT

New York/Mexico City - US drones have entered Mexican territory to help track down drug gang activity, Mexican and US government officials confirmed Wednesday, but stressed that they have been used only in specific instances and under Mexican supervision.

The drones had been requested by the Mexican government to conduct surveillance 'particularly in the border area, to attain concrete goals in the field of security,' Mexico's National Security Council said in a statement.

'(Mexico) has requested from the United States government the support of drones on specific occasions and events,' the council said.

The move is part of an increased US role in Mexico's drug wars. In Washington, US State Department spokesman Mark Toner confirmed the action but referred reporters to the Mexican government for details.

The New York Times earlier Wednesday reported that the United States has been sending high-altitude, unarmed drones into Mexico since last month. Some drones were being sent deep into Mexican territory to help locate drug traffickers and their networks.

Presidents Barack Obama of the United States and Felipe Calderon of Mexico agreed to continue the surveillance flights when they met in Washington earlier this month.

'When they take place, these operations are always done with permission, surveillance and supervision from national agencies, including the Mexican Air Force,' Mexico's government said.

Mexico, particularly its northern regions, has experienced a surge in violence linked to organized crime in recent years, with more than 15,000 people killed in 2010 alone.

For years, Mexico complained that the United States - the main market for drugs moving through Mexico - was not doing enough to help fight the drug gangs but instead was fuelling the wars with high demand for drugs and ready supplies of weapons travelling south of the border in exchange.

Under Obama, however, cooperation has been visibly stepped up, with high US government officials acknowledging the need to get more directly involved in anti-narcotics efforts, most notably by curbing the flow of funds and firearms that fuel crime south of the border.

The United States has trained thousands of Mexican troops and police officers and supplied equipment to Mexico's security forces. However, it had so far stopped short of sending its own personnel on missions into Mexico, for legal reasons as well as nationalistic concerns.

The Mexican National Security Council stressed that the deployment of drones complies with Mexico's laws and that it has allowed the country to move forward 'in the development of intelligence capacities.'

The deployment of drones on Mexican territory follows the scandal over the operation 'Fast and Furious' on the illegal trade in firearms.

Personnel of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) allowed up to 2,000 firearms to be illegally traded from the United States into Mexico so they could be tracked down, without informing either Mexican authorities or the US Justice Department.

They then lost track of the weapons.

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