812.00Detention/32
The Secretary of State to the Mexican Ambassador (Téllez)
Excellency: I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that according to a report which has been received from the United States Military authorities at Naco, Arizona, one Mexican Federal officer and [Page 385] ten Mexican Federal soldiers were arrested by the local authorities at Naco, Arizona on April 3, all the soldiers having arms and ammunition in their possession. The United States Army authorities to whom the officer and soldiers were turned over by the local authorities have until now been holding the men pending instructions from Washington.
I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that instructions are now being sent to the appropriate United States Army authorities to relieve the aforementioned Mexican officer and soldiers of their arms and ammunition and then to turn them back to Mexican territory. After the officer and soldiers have been returned to Mexican territory, the arms and ammunition which were formerly in their possession are to be handed over to the Mexican Federal commander at Naco, Sonora.
In informing Your Excellency of the foregoing, I have the honor to request that appropriate instructions be issued so that Federal soldiers on patrol duty will in the future remain on the Mexican side of the Border and that Mexican Federal soldiers entering the United States for legitimate purposes should come unarmed.
Accept [etc.]