U.S. AGENTS TALK WAY OUT OF EXECUTION

BROWNSVILLE -- A group of Mexican gunmen, which reportedly included
state police, surrounded and threatened to kill a pair of U.S. agents
in Matamoros this month, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration revealed.

The New York Times reported that 12 to 15 gunmen surrounded a car
containing a DEA agent, an FBI agent and an informant. The newspaper
reported that the gunmen wanted the informant.

The federal agents finally talked their way out of the situation on a
busy street in downtown Matamoros by identifying themselves and
warning the gunmen that they would never be allowed to get away with
murdering U.S. agents, the newspaper reported.

The agents were driving by places frequented by alleged drug
trafficker Oziel Cardenas Guillen at about 2:30 p.m. when they noticed
a vehicle following them, news reports say.

The newspaper reported that three vehicles followed the agents' car,
then more vehicles arrived, including trucks. The vehicles surrounded
the agents' car. The gunmen emerged from about eight vehicles, some
wearing jackets identifying them as members of the Tamaulipas State
Police.

The men, reportedly including Cardenas, ordered the agents from their
car. But the agents refused, identifying themselves as U.S. officials.