Marine Force Recon in Mexico
Tracking # |
FY14-06DEC2013-15 |
Submitted | Dec. 5, 2013 |
Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Douglas Lucas
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
An index of files related to any presence of US Marine Force Recon in Mexico.
Please limit this request to all responsive documents generated from Dec 31, 1999 and the date this request is processed.
I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.
In the event that fees cannot be waived, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Douglas Lucas
From: USNORTHCOM FOIA Officer - OMB
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
6 December 2013
Mr. Lucas,
USNORTHCOM has received your request and assigned it USNORTHCOM FOIA case number: FY14-06DEC2013-15.
You have requested an index of files generated from Dec 31, 1999 to the present date related to any presence of US Marine Force Recon in Mexico.
In accordance with the Department of Defense Freedom of Information Act Program, DoD 5400.7-R and United States Code, Title 5, Section 552 (a)(4)(a)(vi), we are processing your request for a fee waiver. Please provide justification supporting your fee waiver request:
(a) How do the records concern the operations or activities of the government?
(b) Given the records concern the operations or activities of the government, how will disclosure likely contribute to public understanding of these operations and activities?
(c) If there is likely to be a contribution to public understanding, will release of the requested records contribute significantly to public understanding?
(d) Would disclosure be primarily in your commercial interest?
(e) Do you have the ability and intention to disseminate the information to the general public or a reasonably broad audience of persons interested in the subject?
(f) How and to whom do you intend to disseminate the information?
(g) How do you plan to use the information to contribute to public understanding of the Government's operations or activities?
Please provide additional justification in order for USNORTHCOM to make a fee waiver determination by 13 Dec 13. If no response is received prior to 13 Dec 13 we will process your request without a fee waiver. We will contact you if fees will be assessed prior to processing your request.
Attached is our letter of acknowledgement of your request. Please acknowledge receipt.
Kris
KRISTINA L. ROTH, Civ, DAFC
Chief, FOIA and Privacy Act Requester Service Center NORAD and USNORTHCOM Chief of Staff
250 Vandenberg St, Ste B016
Peterson AFB, CO 80914-3817
Coml (719) 554-7185 / DSN 692-7185
From: Douglas Lucas
Dear Ms Roth,
I am making this request on behalf of myself, a writer and journalist. I have in the past actively informed the public on matters of US foreign policy and will continue to do so.
In the past I have published an article and given radio and video interviews, part of which involved discussion of US foreign policy in Mexico. The article was published at WhoWhatWhy.com, an investigative journalism nonprofit based in New York City. In the ongoing case US v. Barrett Lancaster Brown, No. 3:12-CR-317-L No. 3:12-CR-413-L No. 3:13-CR-030-L, the government listed WhoWhatWhy along with other media organizations in an exhibit list, and its FBI witness during a hearing referred to WhoWhatWhy as a media organization.
An index of files about any recent presence of US Marine Force Recon in Mexico will help the public better understand US foreign policy. I, most likely with the help of my WhoWhatWhy editors, who include award-winning journalists, will analyze the data presented in released documents and report on them to the public.
The released documents will ultimately become available to the public in full.
Thank you.
Douglas Lucas
From: Douglas Lucas
Dear Ms. Roth,
I did receive your letter of acknowledgement. Thank you.
Douglas
From: Douglas Lucas
Dear Ms. Roth,
Here are additional answers to your specific questions, to be considered as an addendum to what I replied earlier today.
(a) The records will help show what US special operations are doing in Mexico.
(b) The records will help the public understand what US special operations are doing in Mexico, our southern neighbor, where there is a drug war.
(c) The records will help the public understand the range of US activities in Mexico. Right now the public does not have a good picture of US military or intelligence activity in Mexico.
(d) No. WhoWhatWhy, my likely publisher for this material, is a nonprofit, and I am paid very little for my journalism work in general.
(e) Yes, I have published an article and given interviews before about US foreign policy in Mexico.
(f) I intend to disseminate it probably via WhoWhatWhy, an investigative journalism nonprofit based in New York City. In the ongoing case US v. Barrett Lancaster Brown, No. 3:12-CR-317-L No. 3:12-CR-413-L No. 3:13-CR-030-L, the government listed WhoWhatWhy along with other media organizations in an exhibit list, and its FBI witness during the most recent hearing referred to WhoWhatWhy as a media organization.
(g) I plan to investigate what the US military and intelligence community are doing in Mexico, which I have been researching for a year and will continue to research.
From: USNORTHCOM FOIA Officer - OMB
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
8 January 2014
Mr. Lucas,
Attached is USNORTHCOM final response to the subject request assigned USNORTHCOM FOIA case number: FY14-06DEC2013-15.
Kris
KRISTINA L. ROTH, Civ, DAFC
Chief, FOIA and Privacy Act Requester Service Center NORAD and USNORTHCOM Chief of Staff
250 Vandenberg St, Ste B016
Peterson AFB, CO 80914-3817
Coml (719) 554-7185 / DSN 692-7185
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