DEA STANDOFF IN MEXICO

With respect to the Nov. 25 news story "DEA Agents Caught in Standoff,"
which reported that U.S. agents were surrounded by gunmen, allegedly
including Mexican state police:

The government of Tamaulipas initiated an investigation on Nov. 9 to
determine if any present or former state police agents were involved.

At the same time, the Tamaulipas state attorney general's office is working
closely with Mexico's federal special prosecutor for anti-narcotics and
with the FBI's supervisor for the U.S. border region. We at the state
attorney general's office have made available a database of photographs for
the purpose of identifying potential suspects, and we stand ready to help
in any other way. Furthermore, the office is fully cooperating in the
investigation initiated by the federal special prosecutor.

In the 10 months of its current administration, Tamaulipas has shown its
commitment to building a law enforcement body of integrity and the highest
standards of professionalism. To date, it has terminated 1,400 officers who
did not meet our standards.

This alleged incident is a federal matter, and accounts of state police
involvement have not been corroborated. But Tamaulipas will continue to
combat crime and will punish to the full extent of the law police officers
who do not protect our citizens and who disobey the law.

Eduardo Garza Rivas, Attorney General, State of Tamaulipas, Ciudad
Victoria, Mexico