Mexico’s Millennium reported on December 7 that Mexican President Lopez has formally submitted a proposal to the Senate to amend the National Security Law, requiring foreign agents (such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration) to restrict access to Mexican territory.
(DEA) agents, etc.) Scope of activities in Mexico and lift their diplomatic immunity. At a regular press conference on the morning of December 8, López confirmed the news.
However, he said that the move was not as speculated to be a counterattack against the previous arrest of former Mexican Defense Minister Salvador Cienfugos by the United States without prior notice to the Mexican government. The purpose of the revision plan is to regulate the behavior of foreign agents in Mexico and fill the relevant legal gaps.
The Millennium revealed that in his proposal, López suggested that the Mexican government should suspend the execution of illegal acts in Mexico when it is found that a foreign government incites or promotes illegal acts in Mexico through intelligence personnel, including bribery, illegal deprivation of personal liberty or abduction as a means to bring its residents to other countries for trial.
The country’s bilateral security cooperation agreement and prohibit the above-mentioned personnel from operating in Mexico.
Foreign agents shall inform the Mexican authorities through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of all the information they have come into contact with in the performance of their duties.
They shall also submit a monthly report detailing their activities in Mexico to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security, explaining matters related to bilateral security cooperation agreements, and contributing to the maintenance of public security in Mexico.
The proposal also includes that weapons held by foreign agents operating in Mexico must be reported to and approved by the Mexican Ministry of Defense, and it is prohibited to participate in or induce third parties to participate in arrests, deprivation of personal liberty, search of private industries or other acts that violate the Mexican Constitution and laws.
The proposal points out that these foreign intelligence personnel, whether they are subordinate to the police, prosecutorial or supervisory departments in their own country, should avoid participating in actions outside the projects approved by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its subordinate departments in accordance with Mexico’s security cooperation agreements with other countries.
They will not exercise the powers reserved by the Mexican authorities and shall not use or enforce the laws of other countries in Mexico. Foreign agents who do not comply with the above provisions will be subject to corresponding administrative or criminal penalties in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
The proposal also proposes to abolish the diplomatic immunity of all foreign intelligence agents operating in Mexico. Specifically, if the above-mentioned persons commit illegal, criminal or ultra vires acts in Mexico, they will face the same legal sanctions as Mexican citizens.
Take the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which has long cooperated with the Mexican government, as an example.
According to tradition, the agency’s intelligence personnel stationed in other countries enjoy all or part of diplomatic immunity.
In addition, the proposal also requires all Mexican officials who have contact with foreign intelligence personnel to submit detailed reports to the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the press conference on the 8th, Mexican Foreign Minister Ebrad stressed that the reform proposal proposed by President López is mainly based on three principles: establishing a code of conduct for foreign agents in Mexico, requiring reciprocity between countries, and maintaining Mexico’s internal order and national sovereignty.
President López said that although there had been some unpleasant feelings with the U.S. government before, both sides would respect each other’s decisions.
Although López denied that the reform plan was a counterattack against the United States, it was widely believed that the Mexican left-wing political forces represented by Lopez had long been dissatisfied with the unilateral actions of the United States on drug control and other issues.
In October this year, the United States suddenly took place in Los Angeles International without prior notice to the Mexican government. The arrest of the former Mexican defense minister at the airport exacerbated the contradictions between the two sides.
After negotiations, last month, the U.S. prosecutor’s office announced that it would cancel several charges against Cienfugos and transfer them to the Mexican government. In response, Mexican Foreign Minister Eblad said that this result defended Mexico’s national dignity.
On December 6, Mexico formally applied to the United States for the extradition of another former senior government official arrested in the United States, the Minister of Security of former President Calderón’s government, to return to the United States for trial.
In addition, López said that Mexican citizens will no longer be allowed to be extradited to other countries for trial in the future.
After learning of Lopez’s plan to amend the National Security Act against foreign agents, Mike Virgil, the former head of international affairs of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, said that 90% of the information in the cooperation between the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and the Mexican government was provided to Mexico by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Most of Mexico’s achievements in the fight against drugs depend on cooperation with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Lopez’s move will hinder joint action and information exchange between the two countries.
The Mexican media called President Lopez’s decision another “hot potato” thrown at northern neighbors.
Because López has been paying close attention to the trend of Mexican-US relations after the U.S. election due to López’s delay in congratulating Biden, who has declared his victory in the general election.
Lopez’s sword at American intelligence personnel, which has always enjoyed privileges in Mexico, will undoubtedly make the relationship between the two countries more complicated.
