By Ignacio Ibarra
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
More than 18,000 soldiers, police, immigration officers and other Mexican government officials are working with U.S. officials to bolster security along the border under an effort Mexico has dubbed Operation Sentinel.
The operation was launched last month in anticipation of the U.S. war with Iraq and is the result of a U.S- Mexico security accord signed a year ago in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, said Agustín Rojas Arrieta, spokesman for Mexico's Border Affairs Commission.
Rojas would not comment on specific cases or operations. However, Rojas said the heightened security contributed to the arrest by Mexican immigration officers of three Iraqi citizens at a Tijuana bus terminal Friday.
The operation involves personnel from the secretariat of defense, the Navy, immigration, public safety and the Office of the Attorney General, he said.
"The goal is to ensure the United States the security it needs along the border, while assuring the flow of people and goods across the border … to reinforce the vigilance of the international ports and bridges; guard strategic installations such as dams and power plants, government offices and U.S. diplomatic institutions," Rojas said.
"There has been an intensification of inspections of immigration documents on all means of transport, all airports, highways and port facilities that link the U.S. and Mexico to detect illegal immigrants. Obviously there is a major concern at the moment for people of Middle Eastern origin."
He did not have information about a report circulating last week that a group of Iraqi citizens were attempting to sneak into the United States through the U.S.-Mexico border.
Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said last week that an investigation by the federal government was opened, but was unable to verify any of the details made in the reports.
State law enforcement authorities contacted about Mexico's Operation Sentinel said they had no knowledge of the border enforcement initiative.
* Contact Ignacio Ibarra at (520) 432-2766 or at nacho1@mindspring.com.