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US Consulate Reviews Security in Ciudad Juarez |
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by Mickey McCarter
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Monday, 15 March 2010 |
Murder of three connected to consulate prompts investigation
The US Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, remained closed Tuesday as the US State Department conducted a security review of it after the weekend murder of three people associated with the consulate.
State spokesman PJ Crowley told reporters Monday that the consulate closed Monday for a Mexican national holiday but would not reopen immediately while investigators took the time to determine if security there is adequate.
"[W]e'll be reviewing our security procedures at our facilities all along the border and if additional resources are needed, whether they be American resources or Mexican resources, then we'll have that conversation [with the government of Mexico]," Crowley stated.
US authorities attributed the deaths of American citizens Lesley Enriquez, an employee of the US Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, and her husband Arthur Redelfs to violence raging between law enforcement agencies and drug cartels in Mexican border communities. Killed in a separate incident was the spouse of a Mexican employee of the US Consulate.
The FBI is assisting Mexican authorities with an investigation in order to bring the killers to justice, Crowley asserted. State's Diplomatic Security service also is consulting on the investigation.
President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton extended their condolences to families of the victims Sunday but vowed the close working relationship with Mexico in the fight against the drug cartels would continue.
Crowley expressed confidence that US-Mexico cooperative agreements such as the Merida Initiative would effectively improve security in US and Mexican border communities.
"I think this reinforces why the United States has provided through Merida significant assistance to Mexican authorities because we've always understood that this is a shared struggle by two allies and neighbors," Crowley remarked. "We have provided an enormous amount of assistance to Mexico in recent years to help primarily with equipment. Our aid, at this point, is transitioning to focus more significantly on training now that much of the equipment to provide assistance to Mexico has been purchased and delivered. So we're going to continue to cooperate."
Mexican President Felipe Calderón has made a tremendous commitment to fight the drug cartels, Crowley added, but it will continue to be a slow battle, street by street and community by community.
Congressional reaction
Members of the House were not satisfied with the Obama administration's response to the murders.
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.), who only last week postponed a tour of the US-Mexican border, demanded the US government renew its focus on the war against Mexican drug cartels.
"This tragic incident is just the latest sign that the drug war in Mexico threatens American lives on both sides of the border. The federal government must maintain its resolve to do all that is necessary to crack down on the cartels, ensure the security of our citizens and prevent the spread of this violence. Washington cannot lose focus on this fight--it is too close to home," Kirkpatrick said in a statement Monday.
"The administration needs to let Congress and the public know what steps are being taken to defeat these criminal gangs--in Mexico, along the border and throughout the Southwest. Folks in my district deserve to know how they plan to keep us safe," added Kirkpatrick, who serves on the House Homeland Security Committee.
Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), another member of the homeland security committee, also expressed outrage over US efforts to contain the drug violence in Mexico.
"I am seriously concerned by the outbreak of violence against consulate officials and their families in Mexico," Sanchez said in a statement Monday. "Now more than ever, the US needs to address the growing threat against American diplomats in Ciudad Juárez and other violence-stricken border towns. US and Mexican official must work swiftly, together, to bring these killers to justice and secure our communities on both sides of the border."
Sanchez said she remains "gravely concerned" about the violence in Mexico and urged the administration to continue its work with Mexican authorities to halt drug and weapons smuggling.
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Mickey McCarter |
| About the author: |
| eNewsletter Editor/Senior Washington Correspondent,
is a journalist with more than a decade of experience in reporting
on
military affairs and information technology.
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