Following the increase in US spy flights in international waters to monitor Mexican drug cartels, the federal government is anticipating an escalation of intelligence and military actions by the northern neighbor on the border with Mexico.
According to a high-level analysis by the federal government to which EL UNIVERSAL had access, it is described that the intensification of these US border operations will serve to pressure the Mexican government and make it accept concessions in terms of security.
In the last two weeks, the United States Air Force intensified its monitoring of Mexican drug cartels, carrying out 18 spy flights with the aim of obtaining information on the operations carried out by these groups, such as the Sinaloa Cartels and the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel, on its southern border.
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It is a historic increase in these intelligence missions, since the Pentagon only carried out one surveillance mission per month on the border between the United States and Mexico, commented the consulted source.
For espionage work, the United States Air Force uses Boeing KC-135T Stratotanker, Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker, Boeing KC-46A Pegasus type aircraft, with the capacity to capture images and communication signals.
Espionage not ruled out
General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, head of the National Defense Secretariat (Sedena), acknowledged the overflight of United States aircraft in international airspace near Mexico, and in which he did not rule out the possibility that they may have carried out espionage on Mexican cartels.
This is after EL UNIVERSAL published yesterday that the United States has increased surveillance of Mexican cartels and drug trafficking based on information provided by drug traffickers Ismael El Mayo Zambada, and Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán, Los Chapitos, a source from the US Department of Justice revealed to this publishing house.
In a press conference and in response to a direct question, the General Secretary of National Defense indicated that espionage by these aircraft cannot be ruled out because, “we do not know what they did.”
In front of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, Secretary Trevilla Trejo explained that only two flights of US aircraft have been located, dated January 31 and February 3, but, he stressed, these occurred over international airspace.
“The flights that have been carried out, those mentioned in the newspaper, we only have two located: one on January 31 and another on February 3. These flights have been in international airspace. The aircraft that has made the flights does not turn off its transponder, that is, it complies with international regulations.”
He assured that the National Defense has not received any request for United States aircraft to fly over national space.
“All civil flights are controlled by the AFAC, the Federal Civil Aviation Agency. Military flights are authorized by the Secretariat of National Defense. There is a National Center for Air Surveillance that is also very attentive and in coordination with the AFAC and, in that sense, we have not received requests for aircraft of that type to fly over national space,” the official specified.
Is espionage ruled out? the head of the Sedena was asked.
“Well, we cannot rule it out, because we do not know what they did. They did not violate national airspace,” he responded.
At the National Palace, the Secretary of National Defense stressed that there are agreements for the exchange of information on security between both countries, where he highlighted the telephone communication with the Northern Command of the United States.
He explained that it was agreed to continue with the collaboration of the bilateral mechanisms that exist between the Armed Forces of both countries attached to the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, but above all respect for the sovereignty of both nations.
Source: eluniversal
