Members of the U.S. Army’s Seventh Special Forces Group will enter Mexico during the final months of the year to participate in “joint training” with members of the Mexican Navy, the Mexican Senate announced Tuesday.
The entry of U.S. troops was approved by the Senate at the request of President Claudia Sheinbaum. In Mexico, the Senate is the legislative chamber responsible for overseeing foreign policy and as such, among other things, must approve the departure of national armed forces from the country or the entry of those of other countries, something that occurs regularly for soldiers or sailors to participate in ceremonies or exercises.
The request sent by Sheinbaum states that the tasks in which the U.S. Army’s Seventh Special Forces Group will participate with personnel from the Mexican Navy’s Special Operations Unit correspond to a previously scheduled activity and will be carried out in two phases.
According to the document, the first phase will be held from October 6 to November 28 at the Navy’s Advanced Training Center in the municipality of Donato Guerra, in the State of Mexico, in the center of the country. The second will be held from December 1 to 12 at the Antón Lizardo Polygon, at the headquarters of the Heroic Naval Military School located in the state of Veracruz, in eastern Mexico.
“This collaboration and joint training aims to strengthen the individual and collective skills and tactics necessary to develop compatibility and strengthen collaborative planning and execution relationships between Mexico and the United States of America,” the request states.
During the exercises, it adds, emphasis will be placed on infiltration, surveillance, and special reconnaissance actions, “which will allow participants to improve their intelligence gathering skills in hostile and highly complex environments,” among other objectives.
This collaboration between US special forces and Mexican marines comes as both countries maintain tensions over issues such as trade, migration, and security, although they assert that in the latter area they seek to collaborate to address common problems.
Last week, both governments announced an agreement to combat arms trafficking across their shared border, a measure they considered positive for their respective populations.
Source: cnnespanol
