US AND MEXICAN AGENTS CLASH AT BORDER

In late October several Border Patrol agents outside of San Diego reported being attacked by a group of men in uniform carrying guns with attached bayonets. At the time the identity of the attackers was unknown, and while what really happened remains the subject of debate, new information about the incident is available. According to Mexican authorities, there was a drug interdiction squad patrolling near the area where the incident was reported. But they maintain that the squad did not cross over into the US, and did not fire their weapons, as claimed by the Border Patrol agents.

The union that represents Border Patrol agents claims that the agency is downplaying the seriousness of the incident. According to the union version of the incident, a group of uniformed men pursued two Border Patrol agents into the US. The agents identified themselves, and were shot at. The union does admit that it does not know who fired the shots.

The chief of the Border Patrol sector in San Diego, William Veal, maintains that the incident was taken seriously, and was thoroughly discussed with the Mexican government. He says that we may never know for sure whether the Mexican group crossed the border. Veal argues that this sort of incident demonstrates the need for increased cooperation between the US and Mexico when law enforcement officials from either nation will be conducting exercises near the border.

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