Working closer with the Mexican military and police is also raising eyebrows, Bonner said. “Sharing intelligence with our Mexican counterparts may sound great in D.C., but out in the field it makes us very nervous,” he said. “We have had situations where Mexican soldiers in Humvees have driven into the U.S., opened fire on our agents, were apprehended and were returned to Mexico within a number of hours.” In almost all of these incidents, which he says have also included Border Patrol agents being pinned down by fire from Mexican soldiers, the Mexican government has claimed the perpetrators were masquerading as Mexican soldiers. “Even taking that at face value there’s never been any response from them,” he said.

“Mexico has never been terribly interested in stopping anything from going out of their country,” Bonner added.

And when it comes to the new border security plans, he said, “not only are we doing Mexico’s job but we’re following their strategy.”