VZCZCXRO2778
PP RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHME #0474/01 0511556
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201556Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0564
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 2367
RHMFIUU/CDR USNORTHCOM PRIORITY
RUEAHLA/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PRIORITY
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 MEXICO 000474
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR S/CT S GAIL ROBERTSON
STATE FOR A/S SHANNON
STATE FOR WHA/MEX, WHA/EPSC
STATE FOR WHA GSPROW
STATE FOR EB/ESC MCMANUS AND IZZO
USDOC FOR 4320/ITA/MAC/WH/ONAFTA/GWORD
USDOC FOR ITS/TD/ENERGY DIVISION
NSC FOR DAN FISK
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON
SUBJECT: MEXICO CI/KR RESPONSE FOR S/CT
REF: STATE 6461
1. (SBU) Summary. Critical infrastructure protection (CIP) is
a
priority for Mexico. The U.S. and Mexico have already
established a framework for developing a common approach to
CIP. Because Mexico borders the United States, U.S. domestic
agencies, including DHS, Northcom, and others have studied
aspects of CIP in Mexico at length, and should be consulted
in
order to obtain a complete picture. Based solely on an
internal
Embassy analysis, Mexico's energy sector, key land, sea and
air
ports of entry, and border water management are the main
areas
of interest for the purposes of the National Infrastructure
Protection Plan (NIPP). The 2005 Security and Prosperity
Partnership (SPP) of North America established a common
approach
to security to protect North America from external threats,
prevent and respond to threats, and facilitate low-risk
trade.
Mexico has established several working groups to evaluate and
improve the protection of critical infrastructure within its
territory.
2. (SBU) The working groups correspond to the eight sectoral
groups that compose Mexico's critical infrastructure:
- Energy (e.g. Storage and Generating Facilities and
Distribution
Networks)
- Telecommunications (e.g. Telecommunication Networks)
- Transportation (e.g. Ports of Entry)
- Water and Dams (e.g. (Hydraulic Infrastructure Bridges)
- Public Health (e.g. Epidemiological Surveillance)
- Food and Agriculture (e.g. Animal Health and
Epidemiological
Surveillance)
- Cybernetic Security (e.g. Communication and Information
Networks)
- Strategic Facilities (e.g. Physical Protection of Strategic
Facilities)
End Summary
3. (SBU) Critical infrastructure protection is a priority for
Mexico. The United States and Mexico entered into the
U.S.-Mexico Border Partnership on March 22, 2002 which
provided
both countries with the basis to develop the Framework of
Cooperation for Critical Infrastructure Protection along the
border.
Mexican Critical Infrastructure
-------------------------------
Energy
------
4. (SBU) Mexico provides 12% -15% of U.S. daily crude oil
demand.
Most of this volume is supplied from Mexican offshore fields
in
the Bay of Campeche. Much of the Bay of Campeche production
is
blended in the Takuntah Floating storage offloading vessel
(FPSO). Final shipments of Bay of Campeche crude are made
through the Cayo Arcas offshore loading platform and the Dos
Bocas oil terminal. Mexican shipments to the United States
averaged 1500 thousand barrels per day in 2007, this
represents
approximately 10% of all U.S. oil imports.
5. (SBU) The Takuntah floating storage offloading vessel has
MEXICO 00000474 002.2 OF 005
a
flow through capacity of approximately 800 thousand barrels.
Combined the Cayo Arcas offshore loading platform and Dos
Bocas
oil terminal have a total capacity of 2400 thousand barrels
per
day. If either of these facilities were damaged the effect
on
crude supplies would be significant. It is not clear from
information available at Post whether and how quickly this
production could be replaced, should these facilities be
completly disabled.
6. (SBU) The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), Mexico's
national electricity monopoly, operates the 1350 MW Laguna
Verde
nuclear power plant on the Gulf Coast of the State of
Veracruz
in the municipality of Lucero. The plant is located 70 km
northeast of the city of Veracruz, and approximately 700 km
South
Southeast of Brownsville, Texas. The plant with 2 GE boiling
water reactors is currently under contract to be expanded
with a
third train to produce 1634 MW. The plant produces
approximately
34 tons per year of high level nuclear waste, and all the
waste
ever produced at the facility, which has been in operation
since
July 1990 is stored at the plant. An accident or attack
could
potentially spread nuclear material to the southern United
States.
Ports of Entry
--------------
7. (SBU) Mexico and the U.S. share a 1,954 mile long border,
1,279 miles of which is a river boundary (Rio Grande and
Colorado). Mexico is the U.S.'s third-largest trade partner.
Over USD 1 billion dollars worth of goods and services cross
this
border every day. There are a total of 26 crossings along
the
U.S.-Mexico border. In 2006, over 4.7 million trucks, 600
thousand rail containers, 181.4 million vehicle passengers,
and
46.3 million pedestrians, crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.
8. (SBU) The most important border crossings are:
Arizona, Nogales - 289,590 trucks, 8.6 million passengers in
3.3
million vehicles, 7.7 million pedestrians
Arizona, San Luis - 5.2 million passengers in 2.7 million
vehicles,
2.7 million pedestrians
California, Calexico - 11.7 million passengers in 6.1 million
vehicles, 4 million pedestrians
California, Calexico East - 307,291 trucks, 7.8 million
passengers
in 3.8 million vehicles
California, Otay Mesa (non-commercial) - 11.2 million
passengers in
5.7 million vehicles, 4 million pedestrians
California, San Ysidro (non-commercial) -32.9 million
passengers in
17.2 million vehicles, 7.8 million pedestrians
MEXICO 00000474 003 OF 005
California, Otay Mesa/San Ysidro (commercial only) - 749,472
trucks
Texas, Brownsville - 243,116 trucks, 1,055 trains, 14.1
million
passengers in 7 million vehicles, 2.9 million pedestrians
Texas, Eagle Pass - 1,337 trains, 8.4 million passengers in
3.6
million vehicles
Texas, El Paso - 744,951 trucks, 2,449 trains, 28.2 million
passengers in 15.6 million vehicles, 7.5 million pedestrians
Texas, Hidalgo - 457,825 trucks, 12.7 million passengers in
6.5
million vehicles
Texas, Laredo - 1.5 million trucks, 3.850 trains, 15.1
million
passengers in 6.1 million vehicles
(Note: Crossings listed alphabetically by state. Data listed
for most significant statistics for year 2006. Passenger and
vehicle tallies include busses and passenger vehicles)
9. (SBU) Mexican seaports ship over 105 billion tons of cargo
to
the United States. Sixty-two percent of Mexican seaport
exports
are destined for the U.S. Additionally, some imports into
Mexican ports are directly exported to the U.S. via land, or
are
used for the assembly of finished products to be exported to
the
U.S.
Key Mexican ports for U.S. products are:
Ensenada, Baja California
Manzanillo, Colima
Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan
Altamira, Tamaulipas
Veracruz, Veracruz
10. (SBU) Mexico is the primary foreign destination for U.S.
tourists. In 2006 10.9 million U.S. tourists entered Mexico
via
air, a number representing 86% of all tourist arrivals by
air.
The main international airport used by U.S. tourists is
Mexico
City international Airport (Benito Juarez). However, direct
flights from the U.S. to Monterrey, Guadalajara, Leon,
Aguascalientes, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and
Acapulco
are common.
11. (SBU) The National Geological Agency maintains a map of
critical infrastructure with a focus on the border region.
The map can be viewed at
http://ftp.geoint.nga.smil.mil/nonstd/
data/countries/us/hsip/mex us border 52x35.jpg
Water Issues
------------
12. (SBU) The International Boundary and Water Commission
(IBWC)
builds and operates other dams, sewage treatment plants,
bridges,
and levees across the U.S.-Mexico border. For more
information
please see: http://www.ibwc.state.gov
13. (SBU) The IBWC built and now operates and maintains two
MEXICO 00000474 004 OF 005
international dams and storage reservoirs, the Falcon and the
Amistad, with associated hydroelectric generation facilities
that provide power to citizens on both sides of the border.
Both dams are characterized as high hazard potential dams
under
the classification system established by the Federal
Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA). About 98% of all water used in the
Lower Rio Grande Valley, in both Texas and Mexico, is
supplied
from the two Rio Grande reservoirs; those releases currently
total about 1.2 million acre-feet of water per year. The
U.S.
operates power plants on both dams that provide power to the
Texas power grid. Amistad and Falcon are among the 25
largest
storage reservoirs in the United States.
14. (SBU) A flood wave and dam break analysis concluded that
a
dam break at Amistad would result in the destruction of all
international bridges downstream. There are 10 international
bridges located between Amistad and Falcon. There are an
additional 11 international bridges between Falcon and
Brownsville, Texas/Matamoros, Tamaulipas that would be
impacted
by dam failure at Falcon.
15. (SBU) There are up to 80 dikes in the Ciudad Juarez area
which are irregular, in that they are privately or locally
built
obstructions in arroyos which pass through or near the city.
Most, if not all, are earthenware dams to catch runoff of
rainwater. In August 2006, the Montada Dike in the El
Paso/Juarez area came very close to failing. Failure of the
Montada Dike would flood parts of El Paso and destroy the
International Dam. The dam has been repaired and spillways
have
been installed, but it remains delicate. The local government
in
Ciudad Juarez has fought against the removal of irregular
dams
like Montada because it would require the relocation of
populations that have established themselves in the natural
flow
path.
Mission Involvement
-------------------
16. (SBU) Post is directly engaged with the Mexican
government on
critical infrastructure issues. EnergyOff is in frequent
contact
with officials from the Secretariat of Energy and the
state-run
oil monopoly Pemex regarding protection of oil interests,
especially given increased interest locally in protecting oil
pipelines from domestic terror attacks. The EST section
handles
water issues and is the primary liaison with the
International
Boundary and Water Commission and the office of the
Secretariat
SIPDIS
of Foreign Affairs directly in charge of border environment
issues. The Foreign Agricultural Service in conjunction with
the
Economic section monitor Mexico's critical food and
agriculture
infrastructure. Representatives from the various Department
of
Homeland Security agencies also contribute to posts critical
infrastructure engagement as does NorthCom via the Office of
Defense Cooperation.
MEXICO 00000474 005 OF 005
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap /
GARZA