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Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.03.2007
MEXICO CITY — The U.S. government is giving this country a computer system to spy on people using telephones, e-mail, chat rooms and other communications technology, to thwart terrorists and drug traffickers.
In place by the end of this month, the system will be housed in the headquarters of AFI, Mexico's elite federal law-enforcement agency.
Under guidelines published by the U.S. government, the system's phone database will accommodate up to 8 million sessions and be able to record 60 calls at the same time.
The equipment comes as part of an ongoing effort by the U.S. government to assist foreign police and is said to be similar to what has been used in Colombia, another major drug-trafficking country.
There will be as many as 30 monitoring stations and calls will be stored for nearly three years.
The monitoring gear will not be operated by U.S. agents, said Susan Pittman, spokeswoman for the State Department's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
"The Mexican government will be using this equipment," she said.
The U.S. State Department would not discuss technical matters on the equipment, including describing how it would work.
Although the majority of illegal drugs entering the United States come through Mexico, Mexicans can be touchy about the role of the U.S. government in its affairs.
A contract for nearly $3 million quietly was awarded in February to the New York-based Verint Systems. Unlike many joint U.S. assistance efforts, it was not announced by the U.S. Embassy.
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