Mexican Customs Agents Fired: Mexican Army Customs US Border

Source: http://military.rightpundits.com/2009/08/16/mexican-customs-agents-fired-mexican-army-customs-us-border/#more-5930

Date: Aug 16, 2009

By Shannon

Here’s a story that should help you sleep at night, especially if you live in one of the southern border states. The Mexican government, plagued by corruption, replaced customs agents with the Army. Mexican customs agents fired to the tune of 1100 personnel. The Mexican Army is now in charge of customs at the US border.

In an anti-corruption sting of sorts, federal officials cleaned house at all US Mexican border stations. 1100 Mexican customs agents fired, and the Mexican Army taking over customs duties at all checkpoints.

In Nuevo Laredo, the agents were called in and told they were being let go; they were then asked to surrender their badges and weapons. As reported before, Mexico is in the middle of a major drug cartel war and a huge problem has been weapons and drugs being smuggled in and out of the country.

The Mexican army customs duties are only temporary, no word on how long the Army will be handling the customs role. One can only speculate how this may hurt or help the security of our country.

On the one hand, it appears good that the Mexican customs agents fired were apparently corrupt; on the other, how reliable is the Mexican government or the Mexican Army? How much corruption is there? Will it really stem the tide of weapons and drugs into or out of either country?

President Obama recently met with Felipe Calderon in Mexico pledging support for his military crackdown on drug cartels. Obama also pledged to help control our countries part in the ongoing drug war.

Over 1,000 Mexican customs agents fired seems like a step in the right direction; but is it? Was it an actual clamp down on corruption or more of a show for outsiders looking in? Only time will tell.