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Media Ignores FBI Warnings About Security Danger of Flimsy Mexican IDs
Pick up any newspaper and the headlines are typically about the 9/11 Commission querying what advance warning was available, and what actions (if any) were taken to combat the growing terrorist threat. Even as the press is in a tizzy about these seeming revelations, the FBI has not only identified one glaring hole in the nationâs security system but also pointed out its risks, yet has provoked only a collective yawn in response.The reason, I surmise, is that the FBI is pointing fingers at one of the most sacred of cows: the Matricula Consular program, or MCAS (for Matricula Consular de Alta Seguridad). What is a MCAS? It is an identification card issued to Mexican nationals residing in the United States by the Mexican government via their 47 consulates here. The cards are issued regardless of the applicantâs immigration status; the FBI believes two million illegal Mexicans are already carrying this form of i.d. Unlike a traditional passport (which the FBI favors), the Matricula Consular does not readily identify a foreignerâs legal status. Thus, if someone has a valid passport, then he is "legal," but if he presents a Matricula Consular, even one validly issued by a Mexican consulate, that means very little. .... So, what are the terrorist risks posed by the MCAS? Let me have the FBI explain it in its own words. I quote verbatim from an unclassified Intelligence Assessment report on the topic issued on March 25, 2004, by the FBIâs San Antonio branch. .... "The most significant issue concerning United States security is that the âMCASâ cards are too easily obtained and are susceptible to forgery and fraudulent use. The âMCASâ can be allegedly fraudulently obtained via the internet for a nominal fee requiring only a set of passport photos, descriptive data, and a return address, to which the âMCASâ will be mailed automatically. The Department of Justice and the FBI have concluded that the consular identification card is not a reliable form of identification, due to the non-existence of any means of verifying the true identity of the card holder. .... "At the present time, undocumented Mexicans in the United States are the largest beneficiaries of the consular identification card.... However, other countries have also seen the potential to benefit from allowing their citizens the opportunity to obtain a similar card. El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, and Poland are aware of Mexicoâs success in getting their consular identification card accepted in the United States. Argentina has decided to issue a consular identification card to approximately 180,000 Argentineans residing in California..... The ease of obtaining an âMCASâ became a major concern in the wake of September 11, 2001, due to possible utilization by terrorists. As the use and concept of âMCASâ gains acceptance, the threat of countries hostile to the U.S. or those known to sponsor terrorist organizations issuing said cards is greater. The ability of foreign nationals to use the âMCASâ to create a well-documented, but fictitious, identity in the United States provides an opportunity for terrorists to move freely within the United States without name-based watch lists that are disseminated to local police officers. It also allows them to board planes without revealing their true identities." .... Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-04-22 |
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