Mexico says US-backed police academy lacks federal approval

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned Tuesday that the International Police Training Academy, a US project to train security officers in the state of Queretaro, does not have permission from the federal government.

In a press conference, Sheinbaum said that her government had not been notified about the police academy funded and operated by the US government on Mexican territory after US Ambassador Ronald Johnson inaugurated the construction of the building alongside state Governor Mauricio Kuri.

According to the Mexican Constitution, state governments are prohibited from signing security agreements with foreign governments, as such matters fall exclusively under federal authority and require approval from the Security Cabinet.

“The problem is not the presence of an ambassador at an activity like this, but rather the nature of the activity and the permits they must have to develop the academy they announced at the event,” Sheinbaum said at the press conference.

According to the president, the Mexican government had approved nine cooperation projects between the state of Queretaro and US security agencies. However, the academy inaugurated by Ambassador Johnson and the governor is not among the authorized projects.

“We have a good relationship with the US government on security matters and on other issues. What we ask the state governors, the ambassador and the US government is that Mexican laws be followed in everything related to international cooperation,” the president added.

This is the second time during Sheinbaum’s administration that a state government has gone over the authority of the federal government and established security agreements with the United States.

In April of this year, it was revealed that the two US agents who died in Chihuahua in a car accident were Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents deployed in Mexico at the invitation of the state government to support security operations, which led to a federal investigation into the government of Maru Campos.

The International Police Training Academy in Queretaro would conduct training for state police officers to detect and intercept drugs, weapons, large amounts of illicit cash and contraband.

Sheinbaum reiterated the need for the Kuri government to submit the academy for authorization by the federal government.

“This is a warning to the government of Queretaro,” Sheinbaum concluded.