Mexico has rejected a request from the United States to expel two dozen Russian intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover in Mexico, according to the New York Times, citing US administration sources.
According to the newspaper, Russian intelligence activity in Mexico has increased sharply since Russia’s direct invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Mexico has accepted many of the more than 100 Russian agents expelled from the United States in recent years as employees of Russian diplomatic missions.
Mexico, where millions of Americans vacation each year, is, according to the newspaper’s sources, a good platform for meeting with agents operating in the United States. The concern in Washington is so great that in August, the US Embassy in Mexico created a “Russia observer” position, tasked with monitoring the activities of Russian agents in Mexico.
According to the New York Times, the Mexican government was provided with a list of two dozen Russian intelligence officers compiled by the CIA. Mexican authorities have denied receiving the list and that American concerns are overblown.
Meanwhile, Mexican intelligence agencies are primarily focused on counternarcotics. In this context, Mexico, a hub for Soviet intelligence during the Cold War and known as the “Vienna of Latin America,” provides fertile ground for Russian intelligence. “The Mexican government has helped in some ways, but it could have done much more,” Juan Gonzalez, a former official on the National Security Council in the Biden administration, told the newspaper.
