They are referring to the Special Forces of the Air Transportation Group, better known as GAFE. They are Mexican Army troops, highly prepared and trained in 17 of the major academies, schools and specialized bases of the United States armed forces.
In these centers, Mexican officals are prepared and trained in various military disciplines. In "low intensity warfare" strategies at the School of the Americas, located in the state of Georgia; in counterinsurgency in the countryside, at the Special Forces School in North Carolina; on intelligence, at Bolling Air Force Base In Washington DC; on techniques of night helicopter flights, at Fort Tucker in Alabama; helicopter repair in San Antonio, Texas and various preparations in 12 other military bases in the United States.
GAFE members stand out, for the most part, as officials of varying rank and service; with academic distinction in their military careers. They are dominated by youth, an athletc physique, an obvious aggressiveness and their participation in "elite corps" in any of the 12 regions and 40 military zones where they are stationed.
No One Knows How Many There Are
Except in specific areas in the Department of National Defense (Sedena), almost no one knows how many GAFE units exist, the number of forces they include and, although it is stated that their function within the immense body of Mexican armed forces, including the air force, is to fight drug trafficking, because of their high level of preparation, they have the capability of training other military bodies, but, above all, to act as "rapid response" operatives, and, in a clandestine manner, to organize and lend training and military strategies to armed civilians.
The previous information is from investigations and data from Darrin Wood, Director of Nuevo Amanecer Press - Europa; Brian Wilson, former United States Air Force official in Viet Nam; the Human Rights Center Miguel Agustin pro Juarez; The Jalisco State Human Rights Commission and the Jalisco Academy of Human Rights.
The "School for Assassins"
Darrin Wood, European journalist specializing in Latin American military subjects, in a wide-ranging investigation into the US Army's School of the Americas (SOA), which he calls the "school for assassins," notes that, despite domestic and international criticisms of the training given there to military personnel from other nations, 1997 will see the continuation of "the training of more than 900 officials in courses such as military intelligence, psychological operations and commando operations." Of special note is the fact that "for more than two years now, Mexico has the largest number of military personnel receiving instruction."
Detailing a description of allocations and subsidies sent by the SOA to the United States Congress, which confirms the existence of at least one instructor in our country ""doing training work for the Mexican Army," Wood says that the first step in developing the study plan at the school "is identifying the kind of instruction necessary for meeting the political objectrives of the United States in Latin America and the Caribbean," since, "given the high cost of direct intervention in nations" in the zone, the SOA "trains officials in those countries to meet their {US} objectives."
In this way, he emphasizes, "the Mexican government has the dubious honor (sic) of being the primary collaborator on issues of United States security on the continent."
In his analysis of the courses taken over the last 36 years by Mexican military personnel, with a minimum rank of lieutenant, in the SOA, he notes that between 1961 and 1970, a total of 75 officials were prepared: 11 in counterrevolution, one in counterinsurgency, six in military intelligence, six in guerrilla warfare, four in jungle operations and 47 in other disciplines.
Between 1971 and 1970 there was a marked increase in the number of trainees. 197 military personnel took courses: three in counterrevolution, two in urban counterinsurgency, three in domestic defense, four in military intelligence, six in guerrilla warfare, 60 in training, three in command, 26 in jungle operations and 90 in other techniques.
While between 1981 and 1990, 539 Mexican officers attended the SOA, who were instructed in: 19 in military intelligence, three in psychological operations, 27 in commando work, 210 in courses related to training, 12 in anti-drug operations and 268 in other specialties. Regarding the first seven years of this decade, the journalist reveals 623 Mexican military personnel attended courses at the SOA, of which 121 received military intelligence instruction, 29 in psychological operations, 163 in "training;" 32 in educational administration; 56 in special Mexican training; 30 in commando work; 20 in civil-military operations; 70 in anti-drug operations, and 102 in other areas.
This means that during the last 37 years, in the School of the Americas alone, 1327 Mexican Army officers have taken the following courses: counterrevolution, 14; urban counterintelligence, three; military intelligence, 150; guerrilla warfare, 12; jungle operations, 30; various disciplines, 460; courses related to training, 433; domestic defense, three; psychological operations, 32; educational administration, 32; special Mexican training, 56; civil-military operations, 20, and, in anti-drug areas, 82.
*********************************************************************** TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH BY irlandesa FOR NUEVO AMANECER PRESS ************************************************************ ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN SPANISH IN MEXICO BY LA JORNADA http://serpiente.dgsca.unam.mx/jornada/grupos.html The Special Groups, Matter of Study for United States and European Specialists LA JORNADA August 15, 1998