January 31, 2005
WOAI, San Antonio
WASHINGTON (AP) - A Mexican drug cartel could be plotting to kidnap and kill U.S. law enforcement agents, the FBI has warned in a memo to federal, state and local authorities in Texas.
Members of the Osiel Cardenas-Guillen cartel, also known as the Gulf cartel, have threatened to kidnap agents in the United States and then take them to Mexico, where they would be killed, the memo said, according to an FBI official who discussed its contents Monday on condition of anonymity.
Some cartel members are believed to have valid visas and passports, which would allow them to enter this country, according to the memo, which was released last week.
The memo says FBI agents may be the targets, but goes on to say all law enforcement agents should be on alert, the official said.
"Law enforcement in the region has been alerted out of caution," the official said, even though the FBI has questions about the veracity of some of the information that led to the memo.
A recent surge in killings and kidnappings in northern Mexico has been linked to battles between drug gangs.
http://www.woai.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=004D7DEC-B9C2-4F73-BCA3-9728B20D181D