Obama: Keep US Agents Disarmed in Mexico

121 Comments

President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder

WASHINGTON, DC – There appears to be some light between President Obama’s position on arming Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while in Mexico and that of Attorney General Eric Holder, the nation’s top law enforcement official, just three weeks after ICE agent Jaime Zapata was shot to death in northern Mexico with a gun smuggled in from the U.S.

After a White House meeting between Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Obama seemed to convey a reluctance to arm ICE agents while they are traveling in Mexico.

“Our job is to help with information, equipment, to help with coordination,” Obama told reporters Thursday. “We do not carry out law enforcement activities in Mexico. What we can do is make sure that our cooperation is strengthened and deepened over time and we’re constantly refining how we do that in a way that is respectful of Mexico.”

“I assure you that we will be examining all our options and protocols …,” he continued.

The killing of Zapata emboldened U.S. critics of Mexico’s drug policy and earlier this week seemed to have Obama administration officials considering arming U.S. agents working across the border to ensure their safety.

“We have to make sure that those kinds of incidents are not repeated and to the extent that that involves the potential arming of them, that’s something I think we have to consider,” Holder told a congressional panel this week.

Yet, by Thursday both Obama and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano appeared to play down the prospect of arming ICE agents while traveling in Mexico.

“The issue of agents and arming is something that should be discussed in a more classified setting than a public hearing,” Napolitano said in response to a question from Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX). “It’s an issue that involves not just Mexico but other countries as well.”

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CAPS

about 2 years ago

40 Comments

WHAT!?!? OBAMA, DO U SERIOUSLY THINK THAT REMOVING THE PROTECTION FROM OFFICERS IS GOING TO SOLVE ANYTHING? COME ON NOW...
clovera

over 2 years ago

596 Comments

I find this decision apalling! Maybe we need to pull our soldiers from Iraq and send them to Mexico to clean up the drug cartel mess...
Rogue1

over 2 years ago

466 Comments

Agree with DarkBlue
gmacewan

over 2 years ago

24 Comments

THis is a joke...while stationed in this and several other countries "south of the border" it was NEVER and issue if we were armed or not....TILL NOW and under THIS President. IF our guys are not allowed to carry under POLICY , then it time that we disarmed the security detail of ALL their people here in the US. If this happens, then lets see how long our guys go without their firearms.....
Joseph194

over 2 years ago

54 Comments

Just another bad decision by Obama. Who voted for this guy anyway?
DarkBlue

over 2 years ago

4880 Comments

Truds ......why ? Why would we have to honor the opposite ? Mexico is asking for OUR help, not the opposite. And even if we did let Mexican Agents enter the USA armed , what's the problem ? Do you have a problem having armed Mexican Agents in the USA ? I don't. It would be nice to have someone help our Agents guard our border since all Obama can do is put up warning signs.
Don't come here and try to educate us with your liberal lies, distortions and ideologys. The same Ideologys that still think its fine to have a President who's life long mentor is friends with Farrakan and the Black Panthers. Please spare us ............its old and tired and oh so ridiculous. BTW....Until your post I did not see the word conspiracy used once.
fwpd_anderson

over 2 years ago

78 Comments

Our President continues to show his lack of intenstinal fortitude when dealing with foreign countries. Never have I suffered the embarasment of being a United States citizen as I have under this regime. God save us in 2012!!!
1981mardet

over 2 years ago

18 Comments

IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ENFORCEMENT IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH SELF PROTECTION.
BISKIT

over 2 years ago

4 Comments

Sounds like another step towards becoming The United Socialist States of Mexico.....
beauinlieuof

over 2 years ago

88 Comments

Not a good idea. I don't know what obama's thinking was at that time. but if you leave officers without a gun on the street your going to see less officers and more crime that can not be controlled. Your hearing officers being killed everyday somewhere in this country. Let us not escalulate this so that it is out of control where we no longer can protect ourselves against the evil that brews within the hearts of men.
ppc

over 2 years ago

188 Comments

Our agents are there to help them in the WAR against the dope. and sending them unarmed is the same as sending them on a suicide mission. OBAMA YOU NEED TO GO. Where I don't care but leave the COUNTRY. You are sending our officers to certain death.
Shawnn

over 2 years ago

2 Comments

TRUDS. Mexican agent are more than welcome to come in armed. We are not cutting the heads off of their agents and sending them back to Mexico. Being armed isn't about a conspiracy. It's about common sense. If they need our agent to assist in Mexico, we should be armed. It should be a condition to get our assistance. How many mexican agents have been killed in the U.S. anyway? This is not a politacl debate. I don't care what fox, msnbc, cnn or anyone elses agenda is. This is about the protection of our lives! Pretty damn clear to me!
ramon583

over 2 years ago

18 Comments

I was under the impression that we were at war against drugs!!!! That is like sending our troops to war without their weapons to fight the war against Terrorism..... God have mercy on us!!!!
dcreasey

over 2 years ago

46 Comments

Just goes to show you what happens when politics and law enforcement meet. The politicans set back, drink tea, and make policies that affect peoples lives and they have no idea what they are doing because they have never WORKED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT DAMNT
rlgorman54

over 2 years ago

134 Comments

At least Obama is consistent and NEVER ceases to amaze. A friend of the very people who protect him, he is NOT.