The boss of United States Northern Command highlighted this Thursday the significant presence of Russian intelligence personnel in Mexico, pointing out his “concern” about the efforts of China and Russia to influence the region of the Americas.
The General Glen VanHerck said during a hearing in the Senate that currently in Mexico there is the largest portion in the world of members of the organization of russian military intelligenceknown by its abbreviation GRU.
VanHerck referred to the issue when asked about the challenges facing the United States on the border with Mexico, where several transnational criminal organizations operate.
“My concern with that is the instability it creates, the opportunity it creates for actors like China, Russia and others who might have nefarious activities in mind to seek access and influence in our area,” he said.
The senior American general, who also commands the North American Aerospace Defense Commandsaid that there are “very aggressive and active” actors in the North American and Caribbean area.
“I would like to point out that most of the GRU members in the world are in Mexico at the moment. That’s Russian intelligence personnel. And they keep a very close eye on their chances of influencing the opportunities and access that the United States has,” he said.
The Chief of the Southern Command, Laura Richardsonwho also testified Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, agreed with VanHerck’s assessment.
“I’ve been in command for almost five months and what has impressed me most has been the extent to which China and Russia are aggressively expanding their influence in our neighborhood,” said Gen. Richardson, who is in charge of US military operations in the Caribbean. , Central and South America.