Home » NSWC » Navy SEALs Hunting El Chapo: Wired Magazine Gets it Wrong

Navy SEALs Hunting El Chapo: Wired Magazine Gets it Wrong

by · August 14, 2012 · Posted In: NSWC, SOF News, Special Operations
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SOFREP sources at US SOCOM say this is extremely unlikely. However, it appears the usual suspects are hitting the SEAL crack pipe for another quick SEAL fix, only this time they’ve been sold bad junk.

Related Posts

“There have been units operating in south America for some time now but the SEALs  doing this (by themselves) does not add up and I’ve heard nothing on this.”-Anonymous US SOCOM SEAL Source Says.

Update: The Proceso originally broke the story here.

Proceso-navy-seals-sofrep

In all fairness to Wired and the other lambs, the Pentagon is possibly leaking garbage to cover down on previous embarrassing leaks of the real kind. Report enough fake leaks and it makes for nice cover fire during increasing scrutiny over leaks of late. I’d be careful sourcing your Intel these days folks or you’ll wind up hunting on the Duffel Blog for all your breaking news, and maybe kill yourself for false reporting like this Wired journalist.

Does SOFREP know which units are down south? We have an idea. Look for Jack Murphy’s in depth analysis on this story coming later today.

About The Author

Brandon Webb is a former U.S. Navy SEAL with combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and elsewhere in the Middle East. His last tour in the SEAL Teams was as the Course Manager for the US Navy SEAL Sniper program, arguably one of the most difficult sniper courses in the world. He was formerly a contributing editor for Military.com, and currently the Editor-in-Chief of SOFREP.com. Brandon is regularly featured in the media as a subject matter expert on military affairs. An avid writer, his last two books (The Red Circle, & Benghazi: The Definitive Report) both hit the New York Times best seller list, and his writing has been featured in print, and digital media worldwide. You can follow him on Twitter @BrandontWebb
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SEAN SPOONTS
SEAN SPOONTS

Lol. The only way the SEALs could go into Mexico and get a drug kingpin is to completely bypass the Mexican government and not tell them anything about the operation. In Russia the government runs the mob, in Mexico the mob runs the government

NYCatNY
NYCatNY

@BrandonTWebb just going thru your TL, missed this one. I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought Wired had it ALL wrong.

ajkmidget96
ajkmidget96

Isn't this more of an SF thing anyway? why would SEALs get involved?

BrandonWebb
BrandonWebb moderator like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @ajmidget94 This would be deep cover joint ops. Jack's post does a great job breaking it down.

PONI
PONI

 @ajmidget94 @JackMurphyRGR correct me if I'm wrong on this Jack. I'm a Marine not a teacher. haha

I would think whatever's going on in Mexico would be a more direct action mission. That would be geared toward intel guys and trigger pullers (i.e. Delta and DevGRU). SF missions are "supposed" to be insurgency or counterinsurgency type work where they go in and educate a local population to efficiently disrupt a larger better equipped force. I'm not knocking on SF by any means, they've got so of the best trained fighting men in the world. What I'm saying is SF guys are the best teachers in the world. They are like the Obi One Konobi or Master Yoda of real life, the teacher that can whip ass if need be.

KineticFury
KineticFury like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @PONI Mexico is still technically N. America, leatherneck!

StormR
StormR like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @PONI I have always found it ironic that a 4-year college degree is referred to as "BS".  Okay, I'm going back to lurk in the bad girls corner now :)

PONI
PONI like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @KineticFury  @Recon6 Got it! I was speaking directly about Mexico. However, I was inaccurate in do so. It does indeed say South America. I had been reading the other articles before I think. Nice catch. haha

KineticFury
KineticFury like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @Recon6  @PONI ...Muscles Are Required, Intelligence Not Expected... but you've already heard that one. j/k, I know very intelligent Marines. Most aren't 18yrs old though.

------

The sources says "a presence in South America, but..." and you jumped to Mexico. Though upon reviewing your post it COULD be faultless if you were changing the subject slightly.

I have a bad habit of pointing out other people's faults and inconsistencies!

PONI
PONI like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

 @Recon6  @KineticFury Hey now...careful about which you speak. I am a Marine who holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and has traveled quite extensively (whipping ass the whole way might I add).

However, maybe it's just the dumbass Alabama born redneck in me but I ain't receiving the "N. America" shit. I wasn't aware I referred to any specific geographic location in that comment.

Clarify?

Recon6
Recon6 moderator like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @KineticFury  @PONI   KF, he is a Marine, therefore DumbAss would apply, LOL    6     (He doesn't even know where N. America is!)

Old PH2
Old PH2 moderator like.author.displayName 1 Like

Okay guys here is a site I just stumbled across, what's your take?

http://www.opsecteam.org/

 

Seriously trying to help, or are they politically motivated?   

Recon6
Recon6 moderator like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @Old PH2   Plausible deniability on the politically moto...however, no doubt they are pointing the finger in the right direction on this one.  Great 'oversight' being as they are SOF....R6

shagstar
shagstar

this crap makes headlines but yet,,you don't hear nada about the D.H.S.,,N.O.A.A. AND,,SOCIAL SECURITY amassing beau coup rounds of 40 hollow points!  kinda begs the question,,WHY?  is it to overwhelm the ammo industries in order to jack up the price and make it even harder for the normal citizen to purchase or, something more sinister? perhaps,,it's a combination of both!  either way,,this shit ain't comfortable and my swivel bearings on my neck are starting to heat up!

PONI
PONI

 WTF?

shagstar
shagstar

 @PONI

 i got off topic poni,,,just had a rag moment!!  i apoligize

Ben K
Ben K like.author.displayName 1 Like

I agree with you guys, of course.  I don't know and I don't want to know.  Just go do your thing, wherever you are.

PONI
PONI like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @Ben K Agreed. I think our boys are kicking ass, that's all I need. But hell maybe they are after El Chapo. haha If they are he better grow a beard (or shave it off) and head to D.C. He'd fit right in there. . . . . .

McPosterdoor
McPosterdoor like.author.displayName 1 Like

That's why they call it the Danger Room. You are in danger of reading a bunch of donkey butter.

LeverAction
LeverAction

A little song a little dance a little seltzer down your pants. Street theater. When there's need to deflect attention trot out the requisite SEAL story. Psyops means never having to say you're sorry. 

 

How many ways can I say this? Anybody here box? Watch my left watch my left watch my left ... right hand from the hips definitely gets his attention.

 

Misdirection is the term we're looking for.

The Midnight Philosopher
The Midnight Philosopher

Wherever there is major trouble and unrest trust me Uncle Sam has eyes on it, in one way shape or form. However your average person does not need to know the details or maybe might not want to have known if they found out. Whatever happened to "man I really want to know about all this cool military stuff first hand, let me stop dreaming and join the military!" But instead alot of these writers listen to their brother, sisters, cousin's friend from down the street that was in the Army for a week, but got out because he fell down the stairs and so on. Silence is the communities policy, I wish government aides and writers would respect it.

Old PH2
Old PH2 moderator like.author.displayName 1 Like

As much as I'm curious about the veracity of this line of information, I don't want to know, for the safety of our guys.

MedicSteve2
MedicSteve2 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Spot on, BW!  Danger Room is one of the biggest jokes on the internet.  And that little twerp, Spenser Ackerman, needs a good long week in a Turkish prison.  Maybe then, he'll come to appreciate the special blessing he's been given just being born an American. 

 

The only "Danger" in Danger Room is not reading it with your protection on!

AF138
AF138 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

When SEALs are hunting Cartel Kingpins, do they sit in treestands/deerblinds in the cold morning hours, or do they strip down to their birthday suits and cover themselves in Cartel Kingpin's feces/local foliage then lie in wait with knife in hand for the Kingpin to stop for a moment before meeting his demise? That was a very long run-on sentence.

NavyVBSS
NavyVBSS like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Disinformation protocols in effect. OPSEC...learn it...live it!

BeerdidManChild
BeerdidManChild

@BrandonTWebb I wouldn't be surprised it it was one of the #stolenvalor douche bags that go around selling this shit.

joshhobson
joshhobson

@BrandonTWebb “Killing Pablo” blew the lid off the purple OPSEC dragon in regards to south of the border.

Erik L
Erik L like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 7 Like

Ummm....didn't you guys see "Act of Valor"? Obviously the SEAL's are in Mexico, it was in the f'n movie!

 

dm8471
dm8471

Jack said on his facebook that there might be some truth to the SEALs being involved with this kind of mission:

 

"I've been told independently that Spanish speaking SEALs have been very active with the FES, their Mexican equivalent. That said, the information in the article probably isn't 100% solid but I bet it is in the ballpark."

 

BrandonWebb
BrandonWebb moderator

 @dm8471 In the region, not in the ball park and surely not on the trail of some Cartel king pin.

dm8471
dm8471

 @BrandonWebb  Well I must say, I think the way the article presents itself is very Hollywood and childish. I certainly trust your knowledge and your sources more than comic book-esque journalism. I think Jack was saying there might be corn kernel of truth in the giant turd that is that article.

KineticFury
KineticFury like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @JackMurphyRGR That's a regular website for me these days. I wish our media would focus more on what's happening to the immediate south of us rather than all this "Joe Biden Does it again" crap.

Old PH2
Old PH2 moderator like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

 @JackMurphyRGR I read the translated article and I believe the theory you present to very plausible.  Folks, it's normal for our government to "game various scenarios."  It is part an parcel to State Dept. strategic planing as well as DoD.  

 

I can't believe I said that with a straight face.  : )  

When was the last time the US State Dept appeared to have a strategy?  But that's another thread.  

N3V3R_SRRNDR
N3V3R_SRRNDR

 @BrandonWebb  @dm8471 Yeah I definitely think Brandon is right on this one. Sure the Navy has been utilizing lots of Spanish resources (it's even a training language at DLI still), and probably working closely with the Mexicans as it is in US's best interest to shut down the drug cartels. However, I don't think SEALs will be going after a cartel leader as though he is Bin Laden, as the Wired article said, there just isn't a significant enough reason to cause any trouble there. It's a local problem. If the cartels ended up pulling something like in the movie, "Act of Valor" (assisting a major terrorist threat against US soil) then I think we might see something like the article said.