Mexican drug agents learn U.S. methods

Fighting drug cartels, human traffickers and other organized crime can be a deadly occupation for Mexican customs agents charged with enforcing the law in an often lawless region south of the border.

To help even those odds, 24 Mexican agents recently completed 10 weeks of intensive training in Charleston under the tutelage of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents. It is the first time Mexican agents have undergone such training in the United States with their American counterparts.

At the group's graduation Friday, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and other dignitaries hailed the training as a historic milestone in cross-border cooperation that will help thwart crime in both countries.

"Our partnership is strong and our dedication is even stronger to work together -- the United States and Mexico -- fighting crime and making sure the rule of law is carried out," she said.

The 90-minute ceremony was held at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center on the former Charleston Naval Base, the same place the training occurred.

Also in attendance were U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton, Mexico Secretary of Finance Ernesto Cordero Arroyo and Mexico Tax Administration Service and Customs Director Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz Mena.

Cordero extended the well-wishes of Mexican President Felipe Calderon to the group, whom he described as "loyal, honest and committed." He asked them to do their part to bring about the peace and prosperity Mexicans crave.

"We are advancing toward being a country that is more prosperous and just," he said. "We want to be a country where law is respected."

Mexico's war against the drug cartels has been a dangerous and bloody affair. Cartel violence has left a death toll topping 28,000 people in recent years.

Four small-town mayors have been slain in the past two months in northeastern Mexico, including one official who was reportedly kidnapped and shot by his own police officers, linked to the Zetas drug gang.

Twelve federal police officers in Mexico were killed this year in an ambush by drug traffickers.

Security was heavy for Friday's graduation, with checkpoints and bomb-sniffing dogs. To underscore the risks the graduates face, the media were barred from taking photos of the Mexican agents or publishing their names, lest the cartels catch on to them.

Napolitano said the United States has placed unprecedented manpower and technology along its border with Mexico to stanch the flow of drugs, guns and cash that fuel the cartels' operations.

Effectively battling these threats takes cooperation and coordination between both countries, she said, which is why the training exchange was so important.

The agents endured everything from demanding runs to tear gas and pepper spray exposure. They also learned tactical and driving skills, the intricacies of money-laundering investigations and other valuable instruction that mirrored what U.S. agents receive, officials said.

Morton said the Mexican agents performed very well. He noted that one agent, a 23-year-old woman, scored near the top of her class in marksmanship despite having no previous firearms experience.

Morton said other countries have expressed interest in participating in his agency's training program, but the primary focus at the moment is on Mexico. He expects many more Mexican agents to receive training in the United States, though he offered no firm timetable for that to happen.

During a brief question-and-answer period, a journalist asked Cordero what steps were taken to vet the agents to ensure that they would not change sides and use their newfound training to help the cartels.

Cordero acknowledged that is always a possibility, but insisted this group represents a new generation of trustworthy enforcers. He offered no specifics as to how they were screened.

A Mexican agent selected to represent his class told the audience that the group learned valuable lessons, including the importance of solidarity in fighting the scourge of the cartels. "Together we are one, but separated we are two."

Reach Glenn Smith at 937-5556.