Edge of Battle

J
OSÉ
E
LVAREZ
, deputy minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, director of operations of the Political Police and
Sombras
(Special Investigations Unit)

H
ECTOR
S
OTELO
, Minister of Foreign Affairs

G
ENERAL
A
LBERTO
R
OJAS
, Minister of National Defense

R
AFAEL
N
AVARRO
, Attorney General

A
RMANDO
O
CHOA
, deputy consul general, United Mexican States consulate, San Diego

M
AJOR
G
ERARDO
A
ZUETA
, border task force commander, Mexican Army

L
IEUTENANT
I
GNACIO
S
ALINAS
, company commander, Mexican Army

M
ASTER
S
ERGEANT
J
ORGE
C
ASTILLO
, Mexican Army

E
RNESTO
F
UERZA
, “Comandante Veracruz,” drug and human smuggler

Y
EGOR
V
IKTORVICH
Z
AKHAROV
, former Russian oil company executive and oligarch, military leader of the Consortium terror group

SMUGGLERS

V
ICTOR
F
LORES

M
ARTÍN
A
LVAREZ

L
UIZ
V
ASQUEZ

WEAPONS

CONDOR,
an unmanned airship, resembling a seagull or large bird, with a 120-foot wingspan; built of lightweight carbon-fiber skin and Mylar; ducted prop-fan engines; maximum endurance thirty-six hours; maximum altitude ten thousand feet aboveground; maximum speed ninety knots; maximum payload two thousand pounds, including cameras, UHB radar, or air-dropped CID units.

GUOS,
a grenade-launched unmanned observation system; small man-launched drones capable of carrying satellite-uplinked images; can fly up to one thousand feet aboveground for up to two hours.

GULLWING,
an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft (also known as a UAV), assembled and launched from a Humvee, endurance eight hours; maximum altitude five thousand feet AGL; mini-turbojet powered; retrieved by flying into a recovery net; carries a variety of sensors including low-light TV, UHB radar, and imaging infrared; capable of transmitting images and data by satellite; can be steered from ground stations or by commands from a CID squad.

MMWR,
a millimeter wave radar, capable of detecting tiny amounts of metal from long distance and even underground.

SA-14,
an improved version of the Russian SA-7 man-portable surface-to-air missile; 2.2-pound warhead, maximum target range 3.6 miles, maximum target altitude ten thousand feet.

TEC-9,
nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol.

VH-71,
next-generation presidential transportation helicopter, called
Marine One
when the President is on board.

ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS, AND TERMINOLOGY

AG—Attorney General

AGL—above ground level

AMO—Air and Marine Operations (Department of Homeland Security)

APC—armored personnel carrier

ARTCC—air route traffic control center

ATV—all-terrain vehicle

BDU—battle dress uniform

“bent”—device or system inoperable

BORSTAR—Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue

BORTAC—Border Patrol Tactical unit

CBP—U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service

CHP—California Highway Patrol

CID—Cybernetic Infantry Device

Council of Government—Mexican presidential advisers

DAICC—Domestic Air Interdiction Coordination Center

DCI—Director of Central Intelligence

DDICE—digital distant identification and collection equipment

DHS—U.S. Department of Homeland Security

DNI—Director of National Intelligence

DRO—U.S. Deportation and Recovery Operations Service

DSS—Diplomatic Security Service

ETA—estimated time of arrival

ETE—estimated time en route

FEBA—forward edge of the battle area

FLIR—forward-looking infrared

FM—farm to market

FOL—forward operating location

GSW—gunshot wound

GUOS—grenade-launched unmanned observation system

Humvee—high mobility wheeled vehicle

HUWB—high-powered ultra wideband radar

ICE—U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

INS—Immigration and Naturalization Service, changed to USCIS (see USCIS)

klick—kilometer

LZ—landing zone

MANPADS—man-portable air defense system

MMWR—millimeter-wave radar

Mode C—radio signal that reports altitude to air traffic control radar

Mode 3—radio signal that reports aircraft identification information to air traffic control radar

MOU—memorandum of understanding

NIS—(pronounced “nice”) nanotransponder identification system

NORTHCOM—U.S. Northern Command

NVG—night vision goggles

OAS—Organization of American States

OHV—off-highway vehicle

OTH-B—over the horizon-backscatter long-range radar

OTMs—other than Mexicans—illegal immigrants to the United States from countries all over the world who cannot easily be deported and, because of budget shortfalls and overcrowding in detention facilities, are often released from custody with nothing more than a notice to appear (see
permiso
) before a deportation judge. Over 60 percent of OTMs fail to appear for deportation hearings and are untraceable by immigration officials.

PDA—personal digital assistant (handheld computer/organizer)

permiso
(colloquial term)—order to appear before a judge for a deportation hearing. Mostly issued to illegal immigrants from countries where deportation is difficult or expensive (see OTMs).

PLF—parachute landing fall

SAC—special agent in charge

SAM—surface-to-air missile

SOP—standard operating procedures

SOW—U.S. Air Force Special Operations Wing

SUV—sport utility vehicle

TA—technical area

TEMPER—tent, modular, personnel

TFR—temporary flight restriction

Top—unit first sergeant

TZD—technical zone delta

UAV—unmanned aerial vehicle