Mexico Killers Knew Men Were From U.S.

[Confederate Kahanist]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704546704576150793315127846.html?mod=WSJ_World_LEFTSecondNews

MEXICO CITY—The two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were attacked in Mexico this week yelled out that they were American diplomats to their assailants, who nonetheless killed one agent and wounded the other in a barrage of gunfire, U.S. lawmakers and officials said Thursday.

U.S. officials close to the investigation say they have no evidence to suggest the agents were targeted because of their work. The officials said they were still exploring possibilities, including that the gunmen, believed to be from a drug cartel, may have thought the agents worked for a rival cartel or simply wanted to steal the Americans' armored SUV—a favorite among cartels.

That the gunmen fired on the agents knowing they were Americans, however, suggests cartels in Mexico are becoming more reckless and a greater danger to U.S. citizens, lawmakers said.

"This is a wake-up call for all of us in the U.S. that this is a big issue which the U.S. needs to focus on," said Rep. Ben Quayle (R., Ariz.), who was also briefed by ICE officials.

Some U.S. officials said they believed the cartels may begin to actively target U.S. officials. "They've changed the rules of the game," said Rep. Mike McCaul (R., Texas). Mr. McCaul said the U.S. should revise an agreement with Mexico, dating from 1990, that bans U.S. law-enforcement agents from carrying arms while working in Mexico.

ICE agent Jaime Zapata, 32 years old, was killed in the attack, and his colleague Victor Avila was wounded. Mr. Avila has since told U.S. officials his version of events, said U.S. lawmakers. "The agents tried to identify themselves as Americans, but the other side maybe didn't give them much of a chance," said Laredo, Texas, Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat and a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security who said he spoke to several high-ranking U.S. officials about the investigation on Thursday, including to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

Mr. Zapata's death is the first of a U.S. law-enforcement official in Mexico since the 1985 killing of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, an incident that strained ties between Washington and Mexico. Since then, Mexican cartels have been careful to steer clear of attacks on U.S. agents.

According to a briefing given to lawmakers, the two ICE agents stopped at a Subway restaurant in the central Mexican city of San Luis Potosí to grab lunch before setting out for Mexico City. After they got on the highway, the agents realized they were being followed, Mr. McCaul said.

"One car drove in front of the agents and slammed the brakes," said Mr. McCaul, which caused the agents' car to hit it and veer off the road. He said that when the car came to a stop, the car's doors automatically unlocked and a window partially opened, making the agents vulnerable. As many as 10 to 15 gunmen armed with AK-47s surrounded the car, Mr. McCaul said.

"They are yelling, 'we are American diplomats, we are American diplomats,' " Mr. McCaul said. But the gunmen opened fire through the open window, killing Mr. Zapata and wounding Mr. Avila. The gunmen then drove off, Mr. McCaul said.

Investigators found 83 shell casings at the scene, he said.

Mr. McCaul also urged the U.S. to quickly disburse the aid it has committed to help Mexico combat drug cartels. Under the Merida Initiative, the U.S. provides Mexico about $400 million a year for equipment and training to combat the drug cartels. But Mr. McCaul said much of the aid hasn't been released. "That's unacceptable," he said.