I didn’t realize it until just now, but American law enforcement that is working with the Mexican government in the “War on Drugs” must disarm upon entering Mexico.  In a country where shooting police officers is second only to bribing police as a national pastime, our officers of the DEA, CIA, FBI, and other agencies must trust Mexican law enforcement to protect their lives.  Even after one ICE officer was murdered and two CIA officers were ambushed, the Obama adminstration pretty much shrugs its shoulders and refers questions about this policy to the Mexican embassy.

Now, it’s no secret that I think the “War on Drugs”, even if done for the best of reasons, is an abject failure.  Illicit drug use is higher now than it ever has been.  Drugs are easier to get and less expensive than at any time in history.  Mexico in general, and northern Mexico in particular, is a war zone created by our government’s inability to allow adults to do what they want with their own bodies.  Entire sections of our country aren’t much better.  Drug prohibition has caused much more harm than drugs themselves ever could.

That being said, if we are going to send our people out to prosecute this war, for good or ill, they need to be able to protect themselves.  Telling them to abide by the law of the host country and to depend on the undependable local law enforcement for force protection is moronic.  How many DEA agents need to come home in a coffin before the administration comes to that realization?

Now, Mexico is a sovereign nation, and that fact demands that we respect their laws and customs.  If Mexico insists that our law enforcement personnel be unarmed when they are in the country to train and assist their police and armed forces, so be it.  To me, that means that our people do not go to Mexico at all.  If we must insist on giving this aid to our neighbor, then they can come to us.  We have many places in our country where Mexican police and military can get the training they need.  If they don’t want to come, so much the better.  That means less work and money spent on the part of law enforcement.

Mexico needs to choose:  either allow our personnel the ability to protect themselves in a dangerous country, let their personnel come to our country for whatever it is we are providing them, or get on with their own fight against drugs and trafficking without us.