Mexico describes El Paso shooting as "act of terrorism"

By James Blears

Eight Mexicans were shot dead and six more remain in hospital due to the shootings at Walmart in El Paso, Texas.  Dressed in a gray suit and a black tie,  Mexico`s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who`s visited the Mexican Consulate there says this was: "An act of terrorism."  He says the options being considered include requesting that the accused gunman be extradited to Mexico and stand trial on Mexican territory. He`s meeting with Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero today, to access if this is a feasible course of action. Gertz who`s a former Police Chief of Mexico City is also a law professor. Mexico does not enforce the death penalty for those convicted of Murder.

Normally circumspect Ebrard didn`t mince his words. He said: "We consider this is an act of terrorism against Mexico. It`ll be the first investigative case of this significance in history concerning terrorism on US Territory."

Mexico has regularly cooperated in bi-lateral high profile law and order cases. The most recent example was the extradition of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman the leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel to the United States from Mexico.