US security agencies such as the DEA, CIA, FBI, HSI, and CBP will have an “operations center” in the Centinela Tower in Ciudad Juárez, headquarters of the state Public Security Secretariat.
According to the newspaper La Jornada, the agencies will occupy the entire floor, located on the 18th level of the complex, where analysts and technical personnel will operate as part of an intelligence collaboration between Mexican and US authorities, focused on information sharing to combat high-impact crimes.
“At the level of collaboration we have, state powers are sufficient to cooperate with these agencies on an ongoing basis,” stated Gilberto Loya Chávez, Secretary of Public Security of Chihuahua.
The state official emphasized that efforts are already underway to expand this model with federal authorization amidst the controversy following the deaths of four US agents in a car accident during an operation.
The Chihuahua Public Security Secretary explained how members of the agencies stationed on the 18th floor will operate.
He detailed that their work focuses on information sharing and intelligence gathering, without the foreign agencies directly participating in field operations.
“It involves information sharing, and for that purpose, the tower is open for the occasional and, if necessary, permanent presence of these agencies,” Loya Chávez stated.
He added that, in parallel, efforts are underway to obtain authorization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a greater level of collaboration between Mexico and the United States on security matters.
For his part, the agency’s spokesperson, Jorge Armendáriz, explained that the participation of U.S. personnel is limited to technical and analytical tasks within the so-called intelligence fusion center.
“This was arranged last October for exclusive collaboration on information fusion; they will not be conducting police work in the field,” he explained.
The complex is already operational with at least 150 Mexican employees working in intelligence, tactical analysis, and technological operations on the 13th, 14th, and 15th floors. From there, information will be processed in real time to combat crimes such as drug trafficking, arms trafficking, and human trafficking.
Operation in Chihuahua where 4 US agents died
Photo: Social Media
Information center will concentrate technological capabilities
State authorities indicated that this model seeks to strengthen binational coordination through the use of video surveillance platforms and advanced data analysis systems.
“The information fusion center will concentrate technological capabilities… for the investigation of crimes such as migrant and firearms trafficking, drug trafficking, and others,” the agency stated.
The operation of this facility comes amidst the debate on the scope of international cooperation in security and the role of foreign agencies within the national territory.
Source: politico
