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Federal Police (Mexico)

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The Federal Police (Spanish: Policía Federal, PF), formerly known as the Policía Federal Preventiva (Federal Preventive Police) and sometimes referred to in the U.S. as "Federales",[2] was a Mexican national police force formed in 1999. In 2019 it was incorporated into the National Guard and operated under the authority of the Department of Security and Civil Protection.

Federal Police
Policía Federal
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AbbreviationPF
Agency overview
FormedMay 30, 2009 (from Federal Preventive Police)
Preceding agencies
DissolvedOctober 1, 2019
Superseding agencyNational Guard
Employees+ 40,000 (at disbandment)
Annual budgetUS$34.6 billion (2010)
Jurisdictional structure
Federal agencyMexico
Operations jurisdictionMexico
Governing bodySecretariat of Security and Civilian Protection
General nature
Notables
Anniversary
  • Federal Police Day, June 2[1]

The Federal Police was formed through the merger of four previously independent federal police agencies — the Federal Highway Police, the Fiscal Police, the Investigation and National Security Center, and the Mexican Army's 3rd Military Police Brigade — and was initially referred to as the Federal Preventive Police.

Throughout its 20-year existence, the Federal Police was dogged by allegations of widespread corruption and abuse — allegations which President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said influenced his administration's decision to disband the force.[3] Since its disbandment, two high-ranking commanders have been arrested for offences they committed while leading the Federal Police.[3][4]

The police force was 1,870,406,000 pesos in debt to creditors, members of the public, and former employees when it was disbanded.[5]

History

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Mexico City Federal Police Building.

On May 29, 2009, the Federal Preventive Police name was changed to Federal Police, and some duties were added to it. The Federal Police was created as the main Federal Preventive Police in 1999 by the initiative of President Ernesto Zedillo (1994–2000) to prevent, combat and to enforce the law that drugs should not circulate on Mexico's streets. The PF has been assuming its authority in stages over time, as its budget has grown and it has combined and reorganized police departments from major agencies such as those for migration, treasury, and highways. Many large bus stations and airports in Mexico are assigned a PF detachment.

Public Safety Secretary Genaro García Luna hoped to reform the nation's long-troubled police. Among other steps, he consolidated several agencies into a Federal Police force of nearly 25,000.[6]

The Federal Police celebrates its anniversary on July 13 every year (Federal Police Day), with its history dating to 1928 as the successor of the agencies mentioned above.

Mexican Federal Preventive Police

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Mexican Federal Preventive Police
Policía Federal Preventiva de Mexico
 
AbbreviationPFP
Agency overview
FormedJanuary 1, 1999
Preceding agency
DissolvedMay 30, 2009
Superseding agencyMexico Federal Police
Employees50,000-100,000
Jurisdictional structure
Federal agencyMexico
Operations jurisdictionMexico
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersCDMX, Mexico

The Mexican Federal Preventive Police was an agency created by the Mexican Highway Patrol in 1999. It was replaced by the Mexican Federal Police due to corruption problems and bribing issues. On May 30, 2009, the Mexican Federal Police took over the PFP's duties as the Federal Ministerial Police which also took over the Mexican Federal Investigative Agency's duties.

Calderón's administration

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Main article: Mexican Drug War

When Felipe Calderón took office as president in 2006, there were roughly half a dozen drug cartels in Mexico. Each of the organizations was large and dominated huge parts of Mexico's territorial landscape, and operated internationally and overseas as well.[7] When Calderón assumed the presidency, he realized that he could not rely on the federal police nor the intelligence agencies to restore order and crack down the logistics of the mafias.[7] Over several decades, the cartels had bribed police commanders and top politicians; and often riddled with corruption, state authorities would not only fail to cooperate with other authorities in distinct federal levels, but would actively protect the cartels and their leaders. With limited options available, Calderón turned to the Mexican Armed Forces, which, because of its limited involvement in acting against the cartels, remained relatively immune to corruption and organized crime infiltration.[7] He then moved the military to parts of Mexico most plagued by drug-violence to target, capture, and – if necessary – kill the leaders of the drug trafficking organizations. Yet, the president understood that the military could not fight the cartels alone and needed cops to rely on for patrolling, collecting intelligence information, and gathering evidences necessary to prosecute drug traffickers.[7]

With the argument that he was tired of the corruption, Calderón abolished the AFI agency created in May 2009 and created an entirely new police force.[7] The new force has formed part of Mexico's first national crime information system, which stores the fingerprints of everyone arrested in the country. They also have assumed the role of the Army in several parts of the country. According to The New York Times, the federal police have avoided "any serious incidents of corruption."[7]

On October 21, 2008, President Felipe Calderón proposed to break the former Federal Preventive Police to replace it with a different organization, because "the PFP has not yielded the expected results and has not been a strong institution capable of serving as a model for all police services in the country."[8][9] The new corporation became the Federal Police. It provides support to the police as to the Federal District, states and municipalities. This decision was said to be not entirely unexpected, given the insufficient number of convictions, the alarming increase of violence, abductions and cases of corruption and complicity with organized crime elements.[10][11][12][13][14][15]

Peña Nieto's administration

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In 2012, it was reported that President Enrique Peña Nieto's government had proposed the creation of a new unit to replace all Federal Police duties.[16] The Federal Police would not be disbanded, but they would be assigned to special tasks and missions.[citation needed] Additional information on Mexico's planned gendarmerie was on the website MexiData.info on December 24, 2012.[17]

In 2014, the Federal Police's Gendarmerie Division was created with 5,000 police agents. Its focus is on providing ongoing public security in areas with heavy criminal activities and providing border security. It is also expected to reinforce state, city, and municipal police forces as needed. It is one of the seven constituent divisions of the Federal Police, reporting directly to the Commissioner, and the newest to be incepted.

The National Gendarmerie is defined as a military-grade force within the Federal Police.

Lopez Obrador's administration

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Main article: National Guard (Mexico)

Before becoming President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador campaigned on a promise to take the military off the streets of Mexico.[18] Shortly after getting into office, Obrador released a plan to create the National Guard under control of the Mexican Armed Forces which would be in charge of "preventing and combating crime".[18][19] Obrador stated that the new National Guard would be critical to solving Mexico's ongoing security crisis.[20][21]

On 28 February, Mexico's General Congress voted to approve a 60,000-member national guard.[21] On 30 June 2019, the National Guard was officially established in the Constitution of Mexico.[22]

The new National Guard, de facto successor to a similar formation raised in 1821 and abolished in 1935, is composed today of personnel from parts of both the National Gendarmerie and Federal Forces Divisions of the Federal Police.[23]

Strength

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In 2000, the PF had 10,878 agents and staff:

Organization

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Federal Police Day celebration.

Regulation of the Law of the Federal Police in the Official Gazette of May 17, 2010, to establish the basic organizational structure of this Decentralized Administrative Body, Article 5 of that system, comprising a total of 136 seats of middle and senior management, broken 130 seats structure, as shown below:

  • 1 General Commissioner;
  • 7 Divisions: Intelligence Research, Regional Security; Scientific, Drug, Federal and Gendarmerie Forces;
  • 1 General Secretariat;
  • 1 Internal Affairs;
  • 20 Coordination;
  • 66 DGs;
  • 6 DGs in aid to the Chief of the Division of Regional Security;
  • 32 State Coordination at the regional level; and
  • 1 Head of Internal Affairs.

Commissioner General

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  • Generale Vargas Pitt Azian of Legal Affairs
  • Directorate General of Information
  • Directorate General of Social Communication
  • Directorate General of Planning and Coordination

Intelligence Division

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  • Coordination of Technical Services
  • General Directorate of Technical Monitoring Center
    • Directorate General of the Center for Risk Alert and Response
    • Directorate General for Development and Operation of Coverage
  • Covert Operations Coordination
    • Directorate General Operations and Infiltration
    • Directorate General of Recruitment and Resource Management
    • Directorate General for Supervision and Surveillance
  • Coordination Analysis and International Liaison
    • Directorate General of Analysis and Statistics
    • Directorate General for International Police Affairs
    • Indicators DG Information Integration

Research Division

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  • Research Coordination Office
    • Directorate General of Tactical Analysis
    • General Directorate of Criminal Records and Records
    • Directorate General for Crisis Management and Negotiation
  • Coordination of Field Research
    • DG Research of Crimes against the Security and Integrity of Persons
    • Directorate General for Research of Crimes High Impact
    • DG Research of Federal Crimes
  • Technical Research Coordination and Operation
    • Directorate General of Technical Operations
    • Directorate General of Operational Intelligence
    • Directorate General Tactical Support

Regional Security Division

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  • DG Personnel
  • DG Information
  • Directorate General Operations
  • Department of Logistics and Training
  • Directorate General of Planning and Supervision
  • Directorate General of Operational Control
  • State Coordinators (32)
  • Regional Coordination Zones (5)
    • Central Regional Coordination Zone
    • Northeast Regional Coordination Zone
    • Northwest Regional Coordination Zone
    • West Regional Coordination Zone
    • Southeast Regional Coordination Zone

Scientific Division

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  • For the Prevention of Electronic Crimes
    • Department Cyber Crimes Prevention
    • CERT-MX – Centre of Expertise in Technological Response (Centro Especializado en Respuesta Tecnológica)
    • DG Laboratories in Electronics and Forensic Investigation
  • Coordination of Technological Innovation
    • Directorate General for Emerging Information Technologies
    • Department of Infrastructure and Implementation of Technological Processes
    • Directorate General for Innovation and Development
  • Coordination of Criminology
    • Directorate General of Criminal Behavior
    • DG Laboratories
    • DG Specialties

Drug Division

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  • Drug Research Coordination Office
    • Tactical Analysis Directorate General of Drug
    • Directorate General of Records and Registration of Drug Trafficking and Related Crimes
    • Liaison Department and Institutional Cooperation
    • Field Research Coordination and Technical Drug
    • Directorate General of Technical Operation Drug
    • Directorate General of Drug Intelligence Operations
    • Directorate General Tactical Support against Drug Trafficking and Related Crimes
  • Research Coordination Illicit Resources
    • Directorate General of Tactical Analysis of Crimes Financial System
    • Financial Intelligence Directorate for Prevention
    • Prevention Directorate General Operations Illicit Resources

Federal Forces Division

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  • Coordination for Law and Order Restoration
    • Directorate General for Force Protection
    • Directorate General for Rescue Operations and Civil Support
    • Directorate General of Prison Transfers and Support
  • Coordination of Immediate Quick Reaction Forces
    • Directorate General of Physical Security
    • Directorate General for Quick Action Forces
    • Directorate General of the Canine Units
  • Coordination of Special Operations
    • Directorate General of Intervention
    • Directorate General of Explosives
    • Directorate General of Special Equipment

National Gendarmerie Division

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See article: National Gendarmerie (Mexico)

  • Coordination Bureau of the National Gendarmerie
    • Directorate General of Planning and Logistics
    • Directorate General of Strategic Operations and Special Units of the Gendarmerie
    • Directorate General of Social Services and Public Affairs

General Secretary

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  • Coordination of General Services
    • Directorate General of Human Resources
    • Directorate General of Financial Resources
    • Department of Material Resources
  • Air Operations Coordination
    • Directorate General Operations
    • Directorate General Maintenance
    • Directorate General for Aviation and Safety Supervision
  • Coordination Technical Support
    • Department of Information
    • Directorate General of Telecommunications
    • Directorate General of Technical Facilities and Maintenance
  • Police Coordination System Development
    • Control Directorate General Trust
    • Directorate General of Civil Service System and Disciplinary
    • Directorate-General for Education and Professionalization

Internal Affairs

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  • Directorate General for Internal Oversight Monitoring and
  • Directorate General for Internal Investigation
  • Directorate General Accountability

Internal Control

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Superior Academy of Public Security of the Federal Police

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  • Directorate General;
  • Directorate-General for Administration;
  • Academic Board;
  • Preceptory address
  • Services Division

Divisions

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Vehicles of the Policía Federal in a parade in Tepic

The Policía Federal consists of seven branches of service, known as divisions, administered by a central administration called the General Secretariat (Secretaría General) [24][25]

  • Anti-drug Division – División Antidrogas
  • Scientific Division – División Científica
  • Federal Forces Division – División de Fuerzas Federales
  • Intelligence Division – División de Inteligencia
  • Investigation Division – División de Investigación
  • Regional Security Division – División de Seguridad Regional
  • National Gendarmerie Division – División de Gendarmería Nacional

There is also a separate Internal Affairs Unit (Unidad de Asuntos Internos).

2010 included the Policía Federal approx 35,000 civil servants on.[26] A Comisionado General (General Manager), which is used directly by the President of Mexico, heads with wide-ranging powers the institution.[27] Maribel Cervantes Guerrero broke off in February 2012 Facundo Rosas Rosas, who held this office since 2009 .[28]

The Special Operations Group (GOPES) is the police elite counter terror hostage rescue unit.

Ranks

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Rank insignia of the Mexican Federal Police.
Commissioned officers
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
  Mexican Federal Police[29] No equivalent                    
Commissioner general
Comisionado General 		Commissary general
Comisario General 		Chief commissary
Comisario Jefe 		Commissary
Comisario 		Inspector general
Inspector General 		Chief inspector
Inspector Jefe 		Inspector
Inspector 		Subinspector
Subinspector 		Officer
Oficial 		Subofficer
Suboficial
Basic scale ladder
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
  Mexican Federal Police[29] No equivalent
   No equivalent     No equivalent
  
Sergeant
Policía Primero 		Senior Constable
Policía Segundo 		Leading Constable
Policía Tercero 		Constable
Policía

The ranks from Commissioner to Commissioner General wear more complex rank insignia involving the seven-pointed star of the Federal Police badge above one to four five-pointed stars placed between two stripes.

Equipment

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Weapons

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Heckler & Koch USP
 
Heckler & Koch MP5
 
FN FAL
 
Heckler & Koch G3A3
 
Heckler & Koch MSG90
 
Heckler & Koch HK21
 
Mossberg 500

Pistols

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Submachine guns

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Long guns
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Sniper rifles

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Machine guns

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Shotguns

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Grenade Launchers

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Transport

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The Mexican Federal Police has many vehicles; land, sea, and air, it is estimated to own more than 17,000 patrol cars. The exact information regarding transport vehicles and aircraft that comprise the fleet of the Federal Police is classified, to protect the life and efficiency of agents.[30]

Rotary wing and fixed wing pilot training takes place in the school of Naval Aviation located in Las Bajadas, Veracruz.[31]

Aircraft

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Manufacturer Aircraft Versions Type In Service Origin Notes Image
Fixed-wing aircraft
CASA CASA CN-235 CN-235-400 Transport 2   Spain 1 on order
 
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Hydra Technologies Hydra Technologies S4 Ehécatl S4B Observation & Reconnaissance 12   Mexico Will be supported by 3 Elbit Hermes 900
 
Elbit Systems Elbit Hermes 450 H-450 Observation & Reconnaissance 4   Israel 10
 
Helicopters
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk UH-60M/L Transport & Air Support 13   United States
 
Mil Mil Mi-17 Mi-171-V Transport & Air Support 3   Russia
 
Eurocopter Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil AS350L1 Reconnaissance & Air Support 10   European Union 3 more ordered
 
Eurocopter Eurocopter EC120 Colibri EC120 Transport & Reconnaissance 3   European Union
 
Bell Helicopter Bell 206 B-206L Transport & Reconnaissance 5   United States 1 loss
 
Bell Helicopter Bell 412 B-412EP Transport, Air Support & Reconnaissance 3   United States Recently introduced, accompanied by one B-412 from the FAM
 
MD Helicopters MD 500 MD 530G Reconnaissance & Air Support 7   United States Recently introduced, accompanied by one B-412 from the FAM
 

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Policía Federal.

References

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  1. ^ "México conmemora el Día del Policía. La Prensa". Laprensa.com.ni. Archived from the original on 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
  2. ^ In a news conference after the Zacatecas prison break in May, spokesman Ricardo Nájera for the Mexican Attorney General stated that the name and acronym PFP (Policia Federal Preventiva) has not been used for a year and a half."YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2017-02-13. Retrieved 2016-11-29.
  3. ^ a b "Former top police official in Mexico is arrested for torture". NBC News. 6 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Former Mexican Federal Police Commander Sentenced to 10 Years' Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy". United States Department of Justice. 9 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Hoy, último día de la Policía Federal". Milenio. 31 December 2019.
  6. ^ "L.A. Times". L.A. Times. 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2014-03-25.[dead link]
  7. ^ a b c d e f Bonner, Robert C. (15 April 2012). "Cracking the Mexican Cartels". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  8. ^ Merlos, Andrea (2008-10-22). "Pide Calderón 'zar' policiaco" (in Spanish). El Universal. Archived from the original on 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
  9. ^ Toni, Cano (2008-10-23). "Calderón quiere una policía lejana a los narcos" (in Spanish). Diario Córdoba. Archived from the original on 2009-02-11. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
  10. ^ "Relevan a 284 mandos de la Policía Federal Preventiva para depuración" (in Spanish). Notimex. 2007-06-25. Archived from the original on 2009-02-11. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
  11. ^ Ravelo, Ricardo (2008-08-17). "Las policias: Improvización, caos, desastre" (in Spanish). Democrata – Norte de Mexico. Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
  12. ^ Daniel Blancas Madrigal (2006-09-26). "Arrestan a más federales por el caso Martí" (in Spanish). La Cronica de Hoy. Archived from the original on 2008-10-20. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
  13. ^ Segura Garnica, Jacinto (2007-04-30). "Gatilleros son empelados administrativos de PFP" (in Spanish). El Mexicano. Retrieved 2008-10-23.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "Cae mando de PFP por proteger al Rey Zambada" (in Spanish). El Universal. 2008-10-30. Archived from the original on 2008-11-02. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  15. ^ González, Maria de la Luz (2008-11-04). "Confirma PGR arraigo de ex comisionado de PFP" (in Spanish). El Universal. Archived from the original on 2008-11-07. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
  16. ^ "Is it Worth Creating a Gendarmerie in Mexico? - InSight Crime | Organized Crime in the Americas". InSight Crime. 2012-12-10. Archived from the original on 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
  17. ^ "The 'National Gendarmerie' and Mexico's Crime Fighting Plans". Mexidata.info. 2008-12-15. Archived from the original on 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
  18. ^ a b Sieff, Kevin; Sheridan, Mary Beth (10 June 2019). "Mexico is sending its new national guard to the Guatemala border. The mission is unclear". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-07-14.
  19. ^ "Plan Nacional de Paz y Seguridad" (PDF). transicion.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  20. ^ "A Look At Mexico's New National Guard". NPR.org. 13 July 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  21. ^ a b Semple, Kirk; Villegas, Paulina (28 February 2019). "Mexico Approves 60,000-Strong National Guard. Critics Call It More of the Same". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  22. ^ Correa, Catalina Pérez (8 August 2019). "México necesita una Guardia Nacional realmente civil". The New York Times (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  23. ^ "Hold These Truths with Dan Crenshaw - Inside the Mexican Cartel Wars | ed Calderon".
  24. ^ "Comisión Nacional de Seguridad". Archived from the original on 1 December 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  25. ^ "Comisión Nacional de Seguridad". Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  26. ^ Alex Gertschen (6 September 2009). "Moral für den Krieg ohne absehbares Ende" (in German). Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018.
  27. ^ "Diario Oficial de la Federación. Cámara de Diputados, 1. Juni 2009; retrieved, 15 April 2012 (PDF; 98 kB, spanisch, Gesetzestext)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
  28. ^ kheinle (2012-02-13). "Justice in Mexico Project, 13 February 2012". Justiceinmexico.org. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
  29. ^ a b Federal police (18 August 2016). "Promoción de Grados 2016". gob.mx (in Spanish). Government of Mexico. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  30. ^ Transporte Archived 2016-04-12 at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ "Entrenamiento de Pilotos de la PF". Portalaviacion.vuela.com.mx. Archived from the original on 2012-07-06. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
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