Official: Armed Mexican Military, Police Breached U.S. Border 500 Times Over Decade

[Mexican Military “Accidentally” in U.S. Released in 48 Hours ...]

[McALLEN, TEXAS – Armed Mexican military troops and Mexican law enforcement officials have crossed the United States border more than 500 times]
by Sam Rolley 
As Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi continues to be held captive by Mexican authorities for entering the Mexico with firearms, members of Congress learned Tuesday that armed Mexican troops and police have strayed across the border into the U.S. more than 500 times in the past decade.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske told Representative Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) in a letter that the “incursions” are “infrequent”—but the commissioner added that they happen frequently enough for the U.S. to have created special units to deal with the situation.
Kerlikowske said that a total of 525 Mexican law enforcement and military personnel have wandered into the United States in about 152 separate instances since 2004. In 81 instances, involving about 320 of the armed non-Americans, contact was made with U.S. Border agents. In 131 of those cases people were detained.
“While the number of unauthorized incursions by Mexican authorities is relatively few, it is imperative for our officer safety to handle each situation assertively but with sensitivity and professionalism,” the commissioner said.
Hunter disagreed that 500 armed Mexican troops breaching the U.S. border over a 10-year span could be characterized as infrequent.

Kerlikowske also relayed that Mexican police and military units who were unarmed violated the U.S. border on 148 separate occasions over the time frame.


[. photos show U.S. Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi imprisoned in Mexico] 


[Andrew Tahmooressi has been held by Mexican authorities since March 31 ...]

Tahmooressi has been jailed in Mexico since March 31 after accidentally crossing the border with three registered guns. His former Marine comrade, Andrew Bartholomew, joined Fox ‘s “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” this week to discuss Tahmooressi ongoing imprisonment.
“Unfortunately, he is becoming fairly despondent about the issue, but nevertheless, it’s inherent in his character – he’s holding it together, and he is obviously hopeful for a favorable outcome,” Bartholomew said. “So I mean, he knows that on the American side we are doing all we can to raise awareness for him and to raise public support.”