by Ramon Bracamontes \ El Paso Times reports:-

The Mexican drone that crashed into an El Paso yard last month did not have the authority to be flying into the U.S., a high-ranking U.S. official said Wednesday. But the Dec. 16 incursion is no longer a cause for concern because it was promptly ruled an accident after an investigation by officials on both sides of the Rio Grande, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin. Bersin spent Wednesday in El Paso talking to the news media and community leaders. He said the drone, which belonged to the Mexican federal police, caught the U.S. by surprise at first because officials in this region did not know Mexico had drones flying here. After the crash, U.S. federal agents quickly contacted Mexican federal agents to find out what had happened. “In the past, something like this would have created an international incident, but because the level of cooperation between the two countries is so high, we were quickly able to fully contain and control the incident,” Bersin said. The drone, an Orbiter Mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, crashed into the backyard of a Lower Valley home on Craddock Avenue. The drone did not injure anyone. The drone was built by a defense company in Israel, which states on its website that this type of unmanned airplane is designed for use in military and security missions. It can be used for reconnaissance missions, low-intensity conflicts and urban warfare, the website states. Bersin said that while U.S.

officials are confident they know what the drone was doing and what it was being used for, he could not reveal any details. Mexican officials have refused to talk about the drone and its intended mission.

Their only acknowledgment is that it belonged to the Mexican federal police and that it was on a surveillance flight at the time.

Mexican officials also said that it developed mechanical problems and that Mexican officials immediately notified the U.S. that the drone could fall on the U.S. side of the border.

Bersin said that as soon as the drone crossed into the U.S. and crashed, Border Patrol agents were aware of it.

“It was disabled in a way that it didn’t do any damage,” he said.

The drone was immediately returned to Mexico.

Bersin said the drone incident points to a new level of trust between the two nations that previously did not exist and would have led to suspicions on both sides of the border.

“This was an accident, no question about it,” Bersin said.

He said that while Mexico has problems with corruption at all levels, the U.S. has built a certain trust and cooperation with Mexican law enforcement officials.

“We are very much engaged in a trust and verify” relationship with Mexico, Bersin said.

He also said that the battle Mexico is fighting against drug cartels is “a turning point in contemporary Mexican history.”

Ramon Bracamontes may be reached at [email protected]; 546-6142.