Mexican Police Torture Videos Cause Uproar

Cops Say Practicing Harsh Techniques On Each Other Is Essential Training In Drug War

(AP)  Videos showing Leon police practicing torture techniques on a fellow officer and dragging another through vomit at the instruction of a U.S. adviser created an uproar Tuesday in Mexico, which has struggled to eliminate torture in law enforcement.

Two of the videos - broadcast by national television networks and displayed on newspaper Internet sites - showed what Leon city Police Chief Carlos Tornero described as training for an elite unit that must face "real-life, high-stress situations," such as kidnapping and torture by organized crime groups.

But many Mexicans saw a sinister side, especially at a moment when police and soldiers across the country are struggling with scandals over alleged abuses.

"They are teaching police ... to torture!" read the headline in the Mexico City newspaper Reforma.

Human rights investigators in Guanajuato state, where Leon is located, are looking into the tapes, and the National Human Rights Commission also expressed concerned.

"It's very worrisome that there may be training courses that teach people to torture," said Raul Plascencia, one of the commission's top inspectors.

One of the videos, first obtained by the newspaper El Heraldo de Leon, shows police appearing to squirt water up a man's nose - a technique once notorious among Mexican police. Then they dunk his head in a hole said to be full of excrement and rats. The man gasps for air and moans repeatedly.

In another video, an unidentified English-speaking trainer has an exhausted agent roll into his own vomit. Other officers then drag him through the mess.

"These are no more than training exercises for certain situations, but I want to stress that we are not showing people how to use these methods," Tornero said.

He said the English-speaking man was part of a private U.S. security company helping to train the agents, but he refused to give details.

A third video transmitted by the Televisa network showed officers jumping on the ribs of a suspect curled into a fetal position in the bed of a pickup truck. Tornero said that the case, which occurred several months earlier, was under investigation and that the officers involved had disappeared.

Mexican police often find themselves in the midst of brutal battles between drug gangs. Officials say that 450 police, soldiers and prosecutors have lost their lives in the fight against organized crime since December 2006.

At the same time, several recent high-profile scandals over alleged thuggery and ineptness have reignited criticism of police conduct. In Mexico City last month, 12 people died in a botched police raid on a disco.

The National Human Rights Commission has documented 634 cases of military abuse since President Felipe Calderon sent more than 20,000 soldiers across the nation to battle drug gangs.

And $400 million in drug-war aid for Mexico that was just signed into law by President Bush doesn't require the U.S. to independently verify that the military has cleaned up its fight, as many American lawmakers and Mexican human rights groups had insisted.

The videos may seem shocking, but training police to withstand being captured is not unusual, said Robert McCue, the director of the private, U.S. firm IES Interactive Training, which provides computer-based training systems in Mexico.

"With the attacks on police and security forces in Mexico that have increased due to the drug cartel wars, I'm not surprised to see this specialized kind of training in resisting and surviving captivity and torture," he said.

[libsluv2spit]

The Canadian people will NOT let that happen.

Posted by erasmus81 at 12:59 PM : Jul 03, 2008
+ report abuse

*************

canadians cant do sh*t!

[erasmus81]

"There will be no Mexico, Canada or united states as you know it. This will all be flushed away and you will be governed by martial law."
Posted by kuei12 at 09:32 AM : Jul 02, 2008

AIN''T going to happen. At least not with Canada. The Canadian people will NOT let that happen.

[whiskyrocker]

Some suspects need tortured.

[longduck69]

Why is everyone in an uproar over this issue of torture? Every country practices torture. Even the Good ''Ole USA practices torture. Get over it! I think we need to evolve more, bring more people into the 21st century and educate the masses. Only then will we stop torturing each other.

[libsluv2spit]

Our government is making us so proud to be American.


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Posted by lochlan at 11:37 AM : Jul 02, 2008
+ report abuse


**********

you are a typical american hating liberal..btw..when were you ever proud of this country??
"He said the English-speaking man was part of a private U.S. security company helping to train the agents, but he refused to give details."

[seis-6-six]

Looks Like the U.S. Is Training to Torture foreigners in foreign lands. Since it is illegal stateside
theres always a way to get around that,

[lochlan-2009]

"and dragging another through vomit at the instruction of a U.S. adviser"

Our government is making us so proud to be American.

[faith_in_w]

zoe2006, get off the drugs and read the link I posted.

[questionnews]

"Mexican Police Torture Videos Cause Uproar"

Forcing people to watch Telemundu should be banned by the UN!

[ponco seno]

BOY! an I tought NAVY SEALS are the toughest folks around, and this guys are just cops.

[faith_in_w]

zoe2006, two days ago was the last incident.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/144093
Maybe you should watch FOXNews. They are fair and balanced and would report black on white crime.

[faith_in_w]

zoe2006, he wasnt related to me. Just repeat to yourself "Drugs are bad".

[pensacola88]

Mexican Police Officers have been the most under-trained, under-armed and under-prepared to fight the narco-terrorists. The video might be disturbing, but it is a reality about what Drug Cartels are exposing to the Mexican citizens who don''t lie or cover for them. Last month, the drug cartels murdered the Chief of Police for Mexico City in plain sight over a retaliation for arresting known drug dealers.

[faith_in_w]

zoe2006, no Zimbabwae is racial violence where they blacks beat and kill white farmers. I saw a 700 club show recently on this. Pat was really upset. Anyways just say no to drugs from now on, OK?

[floydzepp2]

Posted by terrorislamo


Was there even a point to that post...?

Posted by FroztyBomb at 09:38 AM : Jul 02, 2008
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Terror Whamo is a spammer.

[floydzepp2]

zoe2006, this entire story is on Mexico not Somalia. See what drugs do to you? Time to stop, find Jesus, and live the good life.

Posted by faith_in_W at 09:53 AM : Jul 02, 2008
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Jesus died and was buried. They found his tomb.

[faith_in_w]

zoe2006, this entire story is on Mexico not Somalia. See what drugs do to you? Time to stop, find Jesus, and live the good life.

[froztybomb]

HUSSEIN BELONGED TO A CHURCH THAT DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITE US,,,

HUSSEIN STAFFS HIS CAMPAIGN WITM MEMBERS OF THE NEW BLACK PANTHER PARTY THAT DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITES US,,,

HUSSEIN STAFFS HIS CAMPAIGN WITM MEMBERS OF THE NATION OF TERRORISLAM THAT DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITES US,,,

HUSSEIN IS A RACIST WHICH DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITES US,,,

HUSSEIN IS A BIGOT WHICH DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITES US,,,

HUSSEIN IS A ANTI-JEW WHICH DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITES US,,,

HUSSEIN IS A ANTI-AMERICAN WHICH DIVIDES US RATHER THAN UNITES US,,,

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Posted by terrorislamo


Was there even a point to that post...?

[faith_in_w]

zoe2006, whats wrong? Cant score your drugs now?

[kuei12]

Better get used to it. When north america becomes the North American Union this will be standard practice under the NEW WORLD ORDER. Your rights and consitution will be flushed down the toilet as they have been for the past 7 years by the bush administration. There will be no Mexico, Canada or united states as you know it. This will all be flushed away and you will be governed by martial law. Don''t believe it? Educate yourselves on The New World order (NWO) or just sit back and wait for it to happen. The choice is still yours people. Don''t wait for Ted Koppel to bring you the news at dinner time. By then it will be too late.