Border Patrol chief won't rule out Mexican army role in standoff

EL PASO, Texas -- U.S. Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar said Friday he cannot rule out Mexican military involvement in a standoff this week that involved men in Mexican army-style uniforms helping drug runners flee U.S. law enforcement in Texas.

He told reporters he was unsure whether the suspected drug smugglers were Mexican soldiers but knew they were dressed in "military-style uniforms, driving military-style vehicles, and carrying military-style weapons."Aguilar, who was in El Paso as part of a brief tour of the southwestern border, said it doesn't really matter who the men were _ drug smugglers or soldiers _ because they were criminals who needed to be stopped.The chief said he has spoken with his Mexican counterparts and been assured that an intense investigation is proceeding in Mexico.Aguilar added that allegations by Mexican officials this week that the men involved in the standoff Monday may have been U.S. soldiers "didn't make any sense."