US, Mexico explore placing armed US air marshals on flights

Mexico and the US are looking into whether armed US federal air marshals could be deployed on commercial cross-border flights, according to a document seen by Reuters and a Mexican official, as Mexico deepens security ties with its neighbour. Since Donald Trump took office, US and Mexican officials have said that Mexico has tried to improve cooperation with its top trade partner on security, immigration, and foreign policy, hoping to convince the US president to take a softer stance on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In 2003, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the United States, Mexico agreed to place Mexican security agents on certain flights, but said it would never allow US officials on board its commercial airlines, let alone armed. However, in a Jan. 18 meeting in Mexico's foreign ministry, officials from both countries agreed to "study the convenience of negotiating an agreement for the deployment of Federal Air Marshals on commercial flights," according to the official Mexican document. A US Federal Air Marshal Service spokesman declined to answer questions on the proposed agreement, but said air marshals "are armed Federal Law Enforcement Officers with the mission of in-flight protection of US-flagged aircraft, crewmembers and passengers." In a statement, Mexico's foreign ministry confirmed that the government is evaluating the plan's potential operational and security benefits but added that no agreement has yet been reached.<br/>