U.S.-MEXICO TIES GO FROM BAD TO WORSE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00587R000100590018-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 15, 2011
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: February 27, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2011/03/15: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100590018-0
MIAMI HERALD
ARTICLE APPEARED 27 February 1985
ON PAGE / G-A
Around the Americ
as
exieo ties o from bad
By ALFONSO CHARDY
Herald Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - U.S: Mexi.
can relations have gone from
delicate to disastrous in the wake
of a U.S. narcotics agent's kidnap-
ping and a traffic-choking border
spat. U.S. and Mexican officials
say.
The officials noted that although
car-trunk searches by U.S. offi.
cials along the 1,760-mile border
have ended, the latest flap has
heightened tensions seething since
the arrival of the Reagan adminis-
tration.
These include disagreements
over,Certral American policy, U.S.
concerns abo
t
.to -worse
U.S. officials said privately that
one reason Gavin came to Wash.
ington was because the adminis.
tration ?wa:: considering further
action against Mexico, including a
possible travel advisory that
would warn U.S. tourists not to
visit Mexico.
Last year, four Americans were
killed, and 627 violent crimes
were recorded against U.S. tour.
ists in Mexico. Since` December,
seven Americans, including Ca-
marena, have disappeared.
u
safety of Amen- 'Mullen angered
cans traveling in Mexico and the
claim by some Mexican officials
that the United States is meddling
In internal Mexican affairs by
funneling money to a conservative
opposition party.
DEA chiefs charges
U.S. frustrations received' fur-
ther airing over the weekend
when outgoing Drug Enforcement
Administration chief Francis Mul-
len accused Mexican police of
allowing a key suspect In the Feb.
7 kidnapping of DEA agent Enri-.
que Camarena to escape.
A Mexican diplomat based in
Washington noted that the Camar-
ena kidnap and the border episode
have further "exacerbated the
already deteriorated relations be. tween our two governments." He
said relations have fallen to their
lowest level in years.
'The U.S. decision Feb. 15 to
tighten border security and search
cars brought the third Mexican
diplomatic protest since Reagan
assumed office in 1.981. Washing.
ton also took the unusual step of
summoning home its ambassador
to Mexico, John Gavin, to convey
U.S. displeasure over the level of
Mexican cooperation in the Ca-
marena affair.
U.S. officials said the adminis.
tration decided to back down on
the Camarena case and ease the
border searches after four ten-
sion-filled meetings here involving
Secretary of State.George Shultz
and national security adviser Rob-
ert McFarlane. - - ?
Administration - ' officials said
President Reagan and Mexican
President Miguel de Ia Madrid had
L "cordial" phone con evrsation,
plans for the travel advisory were
dropped and Gavin returned to his
Post-- all to signal a desire to
return to business as usual.
The officials said downgrading
the "crisis" angered Mullen and
led to his remarks in a televised
interview that Mexican police had
impeded the Camarena search.
The State Department Monday
minimized the Mullen interview,
saying his concerns about "possi.
ble lower-level official malfea- '
sance" had already been raised
with senior-Mexican officials.
In addition to the fear of further'
damaging diplomatic relations and
fueling Mexico's traditional anti.
Americanism, U.S. officials say
they are concerned that a bilateral
crisis could shift attention from
the administration's efforts to
persuade Congress to restore aid
to Nicaragua's rebels.
They also want to lessen ten-
sions at a time when the conserva.
tive National Action Party (PAN)
has a good chance of beating the
ruling Institutional Revolutionary
Party (PRI) in July elections in
north Mexico.
'Both countries looked for im-
provement in their traditionally
touchy relations when de la Ma-
drid was inaugurated in 1982; he
was seen here as more conserva-
tive than his predecessor, Jose
Lopez Portillo.
Beginning last year, however,
relations have steadily declined,
mostly as a result of Mexico's
opposition to Reagan's Policies in
Central America.
Early in 1984, hard-liners in the
Reagan administration reportedly
proposed economic sanctions
against Mexico to force de -la
Madrid to end aid to Nicaragua.
This option was abandoned. But
U.S. officials said Reagan did sign
a secret National Security Decision
Document authorizing U.S. efforts
to reduce Mexico's "material and
diplomatic support for ... Com-
munist guerrillas and Its economic t
and diplomatic support for the
Nicaraguan government.".
'Then, on Feb. 23, 1984, Gen.
Paul Gorman, commander of U.S.
forces in Central America, told the
Senate Armed Services Committee
that Mexico had become a "center
for subversion" for Central Ameri-
ca and had the r'egion's most
corrupt government and society."
Fin.n., n, . -
Casey instructed John I n
th . Horton,
officer for Latin Ame ica r~
Approved For Release 2011/03/15: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100590018-0
 Approved For Release 2011/03/15: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100590018-0
11-
crisis to esta M xirn
CIA analyst Quits
tiorton's estimate reponedl
a
-
n t domestic political front.
some Mexican officials accused
Ambassador Gavin of consorting
with the PAN in an apparent
effort to turn it into a viable
political alternative to the PRI.
Gavin has denied any wrongdoing,
but some U.S. officials have indi.
cated the United States would
welcome PAN election victories.
As a result, the Mexican govern.
ment has begun to suspect a
conspiracy between the United
States and PAN. In December, a
top Mexican official told Mexican
reporters in Washington that "we
suspect the United States may be
funneling money to the PAN."
A Mexican diplomat repeated
the same charge last week during
the border crisis. But a PAN
spokesman dismissed the claim as
consistent with PRI's "desperation
about possible PAN triumphs."
ument for
v n ne
ro times ina y
m tins Horton to resln
offlcla s Sal
- --
5'
ne osdsoci 1 1 t
ase sent ac c t
e
Approved For Release 2011/03/15: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100590018-0