The US Justice Department has instructed federal prosecutors to build criminal drug cases against Mexican officials using new terrorism statutes.The move was issued this week, according to the supplied reporting, and is aimed at cases involving officials in Mexico.No specific defendants, charges or court filings were identified in the material provided.The development matters because it signals a possible expansion of US criminal enforcement tools in cross-border drug cases.It also raises the prospect of heightened legal and diplomatic friction between Washington and Mexico.The instruction appears to be a policy and enforcement step rather than a completed prosecution.The supplied material does not... [Continue Reading]
U.S. and Mexican officials have denied a report that the CIA played a lethal role in an operation inside Mexico earlier this year.The denials followed a CNN claim that the agency had been involved in the assassination of a cartel member.The supplied material does not give further details about the alleged operation, including where in Mexico it took place or who carried it out.The issue is sensitive because it touches on intelligence activity, cartel violence and cooperation between Washington and Mexico City.Any suggestion of a foreign agency taking part in a killing inside Mexico is likely to draw close scrutiny... [Continue Reading]