Webster Rejects Charges of Improper DEA Role in Mexico

FBI Director William H. Webster on Friday rejected charges by Mexican officials that the Drug Enforcement Administration has been operating improperly or illegally in Mexico, saying that the agents are there under an arrangement “developed at the highest levels by President Reagan and (Mexican) President (Miguel) de la Madrid.”

“We certainly have a right to be there,” Webster said. “We’re there by invitation of the Mexican government. . . .”

The politicians made their charges in the wake of last week’s alleged kidnaping and torture of DEA agent Victor Cortez Jr. by Jalisco state police officers in Guadalajara. The State Department has announced that 11 Jalisco policemen have been arrested in connection with the incident.

“I hope it will not become a political issue,” Webster said in an interview. “What’s involved here is criminal activity on both sides of the border and a combined effort by the government of Mexico and the government of the United States to deal with a common problem.

“When we accuse a country of blanket corruption, we inject political issues and make it very difficult for honest officials to function and deal with the corruption that is there,” he added.

“Right now there’s a lot of anger in the air. I hope we won’t be making blanket accusations that will make it difficult for the federal authorities in Mexico to deal with the specific incident that occurred in Cortez’s case and the overall problem of drug corruption of . . . officials,” Webster said.