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 News from Around the Americas | March 2007 
U.S. Offers Aid to Beef Up Security
 El Universal
| | Hermin Ramos of Oaxaca, Mexico, looks over the U.S.-Mexico border fence near Smuggler's Gulch west of the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego. (Denis Poroy/AP) |
Washington - The U.S. government will help Mexico acquire anti-terrorism equipment to ensure safety at key Mexican ports such as Veracruz, Tampico and Mazatlán, sources here told EL UNIVERSAL.
The exchange is part of growing efforts in Washington and Mexico City to deepen coordination and cooperation on anti-terror and anti-drug trafficking operations.
The value of the equipment will be around US$50 million, and U.S. President George W. Bush is expected to formally announce the measure during his visit to Mexico next week.
Port security - especially regarding shipments of goods from abroad - is a central concern of the U.S. government.
As a precaution, the U.S. has installed X-ray machines and other detection devices at strategic points to prevent dangerous substances from being smuggled into the country.
It was unclear on Monday whether the equipment to be obtained by Mexico will be similar to that already in use in the United States.
KEEPING QUIET
Mexican authorities have also taken seriously a recent threat published on the website of a group affiliated with al-Qaeda, sources told EL UNIVERSAL. The message warns that Mexico could be a target for terrorist attacks since it exports oil to the United States. The Mexican government has kept quiet on the matter to avoid provoking alarm.
Security has been a regular topic of discussion among high-level security officials from Mexico, the United States and Canada in recent months. |
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