CIA May be Helping Mexican Government in Drug War
KAYE: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton minces no words when talking about Mexico's drug war. She says Americans huge appetite for drugs is what's fueling the drug gangs. But just how far should the U.S. go in helping Mexico wage war against the cartels? There are reports the CIA has become involved in covert operations across the border, and some Mexicans say that is going too far. Raphael Romo has more.</s>RAFAEL ROMO, SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: Are CIA agents and retired military personnel secretly working in Mexico? After "The New York Times" published an article that they are posted at a military base in northern Mexico, the Mexican government felt pressure to respond. In a statement, the Mexican government admits that there is cooperation but doesn't confirm or deny American presence at military bases. "We have developed spaces for analysis, evaluation, and exchange of intelligence information," the statement says, adding that foreign personnel in Mexico don't carry out operations, nor do they carry weapons. Opposition leaders say it's important to remember that Mexican law prohibits operations by foreign police or military personnel on Mexican soil.</s>ARTURO SANTANA ALFARO, MEXICAN OPPOSITION CONGRESSMAN (via translator): I believe that it's important to sign cooperation agreements, but there has to be restrictions. There has to be clear rules in how we carry out these agreements, and I don't think that has been the case. It appears to me "The New York Times" has revealed a reality that we already suspected.</s>ROMO: A top Mexican official said in July that the arrests of a reputed mercenary for a Juarez Cartel was made thanks to the exchange of information between the U.S. drug enforcement administration and the Mexican federal police. Top officials on both sides of the border say Mexico and the United States have to work together against drug cartels and organized crimes.</s>ARTURO SARUKHAN, MEXICAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: As most things in life, you need two to tango. And as Mexico seeks to shut down the flow of drugs coming into the United States from Mexico, we need the support of the United States to shut down the flow of weapons and cash.</s>HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Obviously our demand for drugs is what motivates these drug gangs. I mean, if they didn't think they were going to make a bunch of money across the border, they would go into another line of work. And so we do share responsibility for the security challenges facing the Mexican people.</s>KAYE: And Raphael Romo joins us now in studio to talk a little bit more about this. The law enforcement ties between the U.S. and Mexico haven't always been easy.</s>ROMO: That's right. On the one hand, Mexican sovereignty laws are very strict. Foreign personnel, military police agents are not allowed to carry weapons or operate in Mexico. On the other hand, there's a lot of mistrust on the part of American agencies because of corruption in Mexico. It has been well- known that cartels have infiltrated Mexican agencies. So there's that element of distrust. And there was one operation, failed operation called Fast and Furious by which the ATF allowed the legal sale of weapons in America to Mexico, and that created a lot of animosity between the two countries. But quickly they decided to work on it because definitely one country needs the other to fight against the common problem, which is drug trafficking.</s>KAYE: Yes, if they're going to make progress at all. Raphael, appreciate it. Before you press the "send" key, we need to warn you about e- mails that could get you fired. That's just ahead. But first, magicians use magic hats to pull objects out of thin air. But a new invention could give everyone a similar power. Gary Tuchman has this "technovation."</s>GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Imagine shopping on- line. Seeing something you like and then just printing it out. It might sound crazy. But a new invention called the "makerbot" could change the way you think.</s>BRE PETTIS, INVENTOR, MAKERBOT: Normally when you need something, you think where will I shop for it? When you have a makerbot, you think maybe I'll make it myself.</s>TUCHMAN: It's a personal 3D printer that makes three dimensional objects.</s>PETTIS: You can make anything. Your imagination can go wild.</s>TUCHMAN: Objects are made by melting plastic into thin spaghetti-like strings. Then layer by layer, it's built into the desired object, like this comb.</s>PETTIS: People don't like to cook, make spatulas. Coat hooks, replacement parts. It's really limitless what you can do with it.</s>TUCHMAN: You can create your own designs or download others created by users around the world.</s>PETTIS: You can get the teleportation like that, like physical objects over the internet.</s>TUCHMAN: Turning visions into reality. Gary Tuchman, CNN.