Mexico may allow US air marshals to use stun guns on flights

Mexico is in talks with the US on whether to allow US federal air marshals to travel with Taser stun guns on cross-border flights with US airlines, National Security Commissioner Renato Sales said Tuesday. Sales’ comments come the day after Reuters exclusively revealed that Mexico and the United States were looking into an agreement that could allow armed US federal air marshals to be deployed on commercial cross-border flights. Sales said no memorandum of understanding had been signed with the United States, adding that talks to allow US federal marshals in Mexico stretch back years. “They would only be on commercial (U.S.) flights, on (U.S.) airlines, not on Mexican airlines,” he said. “But it’s still not finalized... we’re still in talks.” Mexico has been trying to prove itself a good ally to the United States in the hopes this will help its efforts to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in terms that are as favourable as possible. Quizzed by ruling party lawmakers on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray denied the air marshals were critical to the fraught trade talks. “I can assure you that we’re not going to negotiate NAFTA in exchange for the air marshals,” he said.<br/>