The FBI warned all federal agents Friday that a Mexican drug cartel has 250 armed men on the border near Matamoros and is planning to kidnap two federal agents in the United States and smuggle them into this nation, where they'll be murdered. The FBI office in San Antonio declined to discuss the source of the information, but issued a written bulletin warning of an "immediate threat to law enforcement personnel." The bulletin goes on to say the "extremely violent" drug-smuggling organization known as the Gulf Cartel already sent a contingent that are believed to have valid visas to enter the United States. "Due to the nature of this immediate threat, all law enforcement personnel are being cautioned to ensure appropriate measures are taken as well as to keep a high degree of vigilance," the bulletin states.Rene Salinas, a spokesman for the FBI in San Antonio, said the information is "uncorroborated," but that federal agents and police are being told to use extra caution. "We are trying to see if it is legitimate," he said of the murder-kidnap plot. "It could be DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) or Border Patrol. It could be anybody," he said of potential victims. He stressed the FBI bulletin was "law enforcement sensitive" and not intended for the public.
The prospect of a U.S. federal agent murdered in Mexico conjures up memories of DEA agent Enrique Camarena Salazar, who in 1985 was snatched off the streets of Guadalajara and tortured to death by drug traffickers. AgustÃÂn Gutiérrez Canet, the international spokesman for Mexican President Vicente Fox, said any possibility of a threat by the Gulf Cartel can't be underestimated. "These kind of criminals are not playing games," he said. "This group is very dangerous and must be taken seriously, but let us hope it is only a false alarm." It wasn't immediately clear if the FBI had sought assistance from Mexico in evaluating the threat. An FBI agent who works along the U.S.-Mexico border said the threat was discovered as agents investigated illegal activity in the region.