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Monday, November 15, 2021

Recently-Retired DEA Officials Comment On Leaked Memo to Eliminate 'Mexican Cartel' Terminology

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

The directive for Drug Enforcement Administration officials to not use the term “Mexican cartel” came directly from the Biden administration to ease relations with the Mexican government, two recently retired DEA officials told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

One recently-retired DEA official told the DCNF that when the new administration came in, the Department of Justice (DOJ) required DEA to submit news interview requests for approval. The retired official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the DOJ declined many of the national news requests on top of the language guidance, but eventually eased up and allowed some to do local interviews where he used the term “Mexican drug cartel” and called each by its name. The DCNF exclusively obtained an email in August that instructed DEA officials to “now avoid saying ‘Mexican cartel'” when speaking with the media, as reported by Borderland Beat. The email was sent as drugs continued to surge across the U.S.-Mexico border.

“They didn’t want us to say Mexican cartels,” the retired official said. “I think they wanted just to say transnational criminal organizations because I don’t think they wanted to lay all the blame on Mexico, they thought it was misleading. But they didn’t give us a lot. They weren’t very transparent with certain things.”

The DOJ didn’t respond to the DCNF’s request for comment, nor did the DEA and the White House. The DOJ earlier declined to comment on whether the DEA’s public messaging is required to go through the DOJ for approval.

The retired official said that despite government corruption in Mexico, there still exists some Mexican police officers who genuinely want to combat drug trafficking. The Biden administration, he said, hasn’t properly negotiated with Mexican officials.

“Trying to talk honestly about it is a balance because these guys are taking a chance,” the former official said. “So you have good guys and bad guys that you’re dealing with in the government there and you don’t want to make them too bad.”

“Within DEA I will tell you that for some reason with regards to the messaging on Mexico, I thought we were very slow out of the gate with the new administration,” he said. The administration’s handling of the situation has worsened its relationship with Mexico, putting the U.S. “at a very bad place right now,” according to the retired official.

“The situation with the relationship that we have with Mexico right now, the unwillingness of our government to engage on it, to even engage on it, that’s the bad thing,” he said. “They’re not engaging on it. When you think about it, maybe I would ask the question ‘if Mexico is your biggest threat because all the drugs are coming from there, why hasn’t the new administrator flown to Mexico and sat down and started meeting with people and putting all the stakeholders together to fight it?'”

“The Mexican cartels, they are from Mexico, they are powerful, and they basically, whether they get support from the government where it’s just a hands-off approach or they’re actively supporting one group and not supporting another, those types of things. From a policy standpoint right now, it’s not being dealt with appropriately.”

Another recently retired DEA official called the directive “political correctness gone amok” and a denial of “reality,” saying that it will harm agency morale.

“I think this is an attempt by DOJ at détente with the corrupt leadership in Mexico to try to enhance cooperation between DEA and Mexico, which is from what I understand at a pretty low point,” he said. “Although, I don’t believe that it will be effective at all.”

The U.S. government is negotiating with the Mexican government to allow DEA agents to work in Mexico after the country limited foreign law enforcement operations and stopped issuing visas to their officials, CNN reported in Oct.

The retired official said that the Biden administration, in restricting the use of the term Mexican cartel, was attempting to appease Mexico when it should be holding officials accountable.

“It seems more like an appeasement measure to me than trying to hold them accountable because if we’re trying to hold them accountable, then why are we avoiding the fact that it’s actually Mexico-based DTOs [Drug Trafficking Organizations] — that you’re not even allowed to name them that,” he said. “This looks more like a détente measure to me. This being something to hold them accountable doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Source Daily Caller

23 comments:

  1. If this official is going under anonymity than his take on things is as good as mine. What position did he hold? Is he a low ranking retired official? Was he a department administrator who deals with the politics that come along with national relations? Sounds like he may not be aware of the whole scope of things. Kinda sounds like a self entitled gringo who feels like the DEA has every right to be in a FOREIGN country...

    I agree with how the DEA has decided to relable criminal organizations. They're correct in doing in so because they're not all "mexican cartels" who are involved. You have Asians, South Americans, Central Americans, Caribbeans, Europeans, Africans, Middle Easterners. To put the whole blame on mexico is misleading and unfair.

    As far as Mexico denying visas to DEA agents I feel like it was a great move on Mexico's part. The line must be drawn and made clear. You cannot bring foreign agents into our country and conduct secret missions with our military without consulting with our national government, so what makes you think it's okay to do that in Mexico!? That's insane, imagine the Chinese government meddling in our national affairs. Wouldn't fly... Thing is, the U.S government has the typical entitled gringo tourist attitude of "I can go to Mexico and do as I please". When you're a guest in a foreign country you still follow the rules. If not you get what you deserve, and thats exactly what the DEA has gotten. A big mexican pointy boot in their pink culos.

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    1. 9:21 Great I am glad you made your point. If not having DEA in Mexico. They are there for a purpose, to decrease the incoming of illegal drugs into USA, you have the mentality, that they go there to do nothing.
      You the DEA to let curupt officials, of what move they will make, so they can tell a Cartel hours before, that DEA is coming.. great thinking of yours.
      Furthermore: how about the USA stop funding millions sent yearly to fight the war on drugs?
      Will you be happy?
      The enpt president and his cabinet is doing minimal to fight the Cartels. So hey let's let it go more downhill, and no effort anymore from DEA.

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    2. 9:21 Yes there are obviously groups based in other countries of other ethnicities. This is not about labeling them all as "Mexican Cartels" or "Mexican DTOS" as that would be highly incorrect.....this is about them being directed not to refer to Mexican based groups as "Mexican" just only as "Cartels" or "DTOs". Essentially not referring to groups such as El Mencho's as a Mexican Cartel.

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    3. @10:13, so how did that go for the dea?? Did they reduce the anount of ANY drugs coming into the usa?? Have prices for drugs gone up??? Last i checked, theres more drugs on the streets than ever before.. and im not talking about when the cartels decided to raise prices/price gouge because of covid- everyone knew what that was.

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    4. DEA is a joke..
      If anything, they cross more drugs than actual cartels.
      All they do is tax the big capos and if they get good money they let them operate. Just ask any drug boss from CDS, El vicentillo wanted to go to trial on grounds that he had the green light from DEA to deal drugs in exchange for information.
      War on drugs?haha There is no such thing! Only pendejos think they are trying to clean the streets 😆
      Too much money involved and it will never end 💰
      Good on Mexico for not being stupid, gringos might get excited and just take over like they did in Texas..

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    5. 6:36 ukn your a joke. Twat lol

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    6. You guys can't compare the Chinese in the USA with the DEA in Mexico which is not so great and beautiful anymore like who wants to go there anyway to visit? Only stupid tourist who want to take chances like Paisanos who go and show off their new trucks And complain when they get hijacked so DEA needs to be in there to gather intelligence on those cowards because Lopez obrador gets millions in Aid to fight crime but since he's in somebody's pocket nothing will happen unless he gets pressured or another president like Calderon takes over and goes after everyone.

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    7. Lopez obrador is a coward and a wimp the worst president in history hope he reads this he is a disgrace to the Mexican people. Thank God I don't live there.

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    8. @10:13, I never said the DEA was not doing anything. I don't know how you got that impression, or how you believe that's the "mentality" I have. What I will say is the DEA was doing too much  On Mexican territory. To the point where it is putting national security at risk and overstepping Mexico's national sovereignty. Since the kingpin act violence has increased and the flow of drugs and firearms has not slowed down. @11:05 if the DEA's presence was to be viewed as a cooperative effort then the U.S wasn't living upto its expectations. The U.S has a reputation of destabilizing nations when it comes to foreign intervention and that's exactly what the DEA helped do in mexico.. I couldn't agree more with @215. Ask yourself, how has the DEA's "assistance" in Mexico  brought down the violence or stopped the flow of firearms and drugs? It hasn't. The violence increased and we have more criminal organization groups since Calderon decided to go along with "the war on drugs". Good bye, good riddance... a U.S government agency like the DEA in a foreign country will not bring prosperity, it does the opposite. So with that being said, @1013 and @1105, the DEA does not need to be in mexico to fight the cartels. All they do is pull strings while mexicans continue to get killed. I couldn't agree more, stop funding Mexico and redirect them tax dollars to securing our borders. The U.S would be more effective against DTO's if they increased their resources here at home. Place more troops on the ground and I can gaurantee it would significantly slow down the flow of drugs.

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    9. Lol that 131 fool is retracting, he can't make up his mind. One day he is against the DEA in Mexico. The next he wants them in Mexico, he reminds me of Raping Whitey.

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    10. @831, I'm totally against DEA in Mexico. It undermines Mexicos national sovereignty. How am I retracting? Tell me where I said I'm against them one day and for them another.

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    11. 12:32 I don't see no one comparing the Chinese to USA, lay low. On the mushrooms 😁

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    12. 9:40 I detect your the Almo nuthugger guy. Lol

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  2. Having DEA agents in country is likely part of the aid packages being sent in terms of $ and equipment/support for countries like Mexico, Colombia, etc. (in the Billions) AMLO wanted to get out of the Mérida Initiative and they did so a few weeks ago announcing a new but similar cooperation agreement

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    1. Socalj

      Why would he want out of the Merida Initiative.
      If that brings in Millions yearly, that curupt officials also Pocket, then for sure he wants Mexico to go downhill big time. But he agreed to the other agreement which also brings money into thier pockets.

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    2. Basically similar to the rebranding of federal police over the years. Slap a new name on it, change up the direction a bit but the same at the foundation...its now the 'Bicentennial Understanding'

      http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2021/10/bicentennial-understanding-replaces.html

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    3. Socalj your a walking ecyopedia.
      It was tweaked to now The Bicentennial understanding.
      Learn something new everyday.

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    4. Socalj you're absolutely right in regards to the Merida initiative. Past administrations put more focus on trying to fight DTO's while it seems like the current administration tried to put more emphasis on the social and economic aspects of the agreement while putting less focus on confrontation.

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  3. 🐦I haven't even read the article yet, but great to see you here.🐦

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    1. Oh yo mean me, well thank you, allow me to kiss you on the hand.
      They call me Sir Charles the III.

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  4. Great article that proves how inept this administration is in ever facet of government

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