Thread: DHS official says U.S., Mex. must work together on drug war

Homeland Security official says U.S., Mexico must work together on drug war
By Brandi Grissom / Austin Bureau
Article Launched: 05/22/2008 04:56:10 PM MDT


AUSTIN -- The U.S. and Mexico must work together to fight drug violence across the border, a Department of Homeland Security official said Thursday.
Al Peña, Mexico attaché for DHS, said more than 6,000 have died in Mexico's drug war in the last two-and-a-half years, and he pointed to media reports comparing the situation to Baghdad, Iraq. If the cartels are not curtailed, Peña said, the U.S., too, could be at risk.

"It is imperative that together our governments confront them with the full force of the law," he told a conference gathered to discuss border security.

Peña praised Mexican President Felipe Calderon's efforts to combat drug cartels and said the government's determination to root out the cartels has caused violence to escalate.

Calderon has deployed about 30,000 troops nationally and has committed billions to the fight, he said.

In Juarez, where thousands of federal troops are now patrolling the streets, hundreds have died since the military descended on the city earlier this year.

If the U.S. doesn't help, he said, the corruption and evil could spill north.

"These enemies are our enemies, too," Peña said.

He mentioned the Bush Administration's Merida Plan that would send about $1.5 billion in aide to Mexico during the next three years.

At the same conference on Wednesday, Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, Mexico's deputy federal attorney general for international affairs, told the audience his country is trying to establish public, oral
trials and new roles for judges along with protection of victims to stop organized crime.
"This is the enemy that Mexico is confronting with all of its resources," Vasconcelos said.

But, he said, about $10 billion a year in money and weapons flow into Mexico from the U.S.

Vasconcelos told of one suspected criminal who spent $190 million in Las Vegas, including $14 million in one night.

Tony Payan, political science professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, said the Merida Plan is far from enough to help Mexico fight drug lords.

The U.S., he said, could help most by reducing drug consumption and controlling firearms that fuel the battles in Mexico.

"I don't think they're serious about helping Mexico in that sense," Payan said.

But, he said, that does not mean the violence and corruption from Mexico will spillover.

Violence across the border has spiked and waned for years, but El Paso remains among the safest cities in the United States.

Brandi Grissom can be reached at bgrissom@elpasotimes.com; (512) 479-6606.




http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_9349838

If the U.S. doesn't help, he said, the corruption and evil could spill north.

It has.

Corruption has infiltrated all levels of Mexican government--why would Mexican consulates be any different? 50 Mexican consulates and a fleet of mobile consulates constitute quite a network for operations and contacts. They hand out passports which I believe allows illegal aliens to fly our airlines and they hand out matricula consular cards which enables opening bank accounts, transferring money transmittances (money laundering?) and possible crimes like voter fraud. Wouldn't it be wise for the U.S. to close down all but two of these consulates?

Close the border.

Mexico must stop promoting illegal immigration to the U.S.--no more information booklets, maps, food, water, and clothing to these people. Some of these individuals work for the cartels and gangs and establish drug distribution routes in the U.S.

Mexico must clear the area next to the border so it's free of buildings smugglers can use.

Mexico must respond to our border agents requests for assistance.

OK... here we go The Top Ten things we need to do to secure our border

1. Wheres the DAMN FENCE

2. Why do we not have our ARMED FORCES on the BORDER

3. WHERES THE DAMN FENCE

4. Chertoff Who?

5. Dismantle the Department of Homeland Security and outsource it to a competent country that will have Americans best interest in mind. This Country does not. It is corrupt and has the NAU and Global Business in mind more so than it's citizens

6. Maybe China can do what the American Government Just Will Not DO Protect Americans

7. Wheres the DAMN FENCE

8. Impeach Bush.. Boot Pelosi, Reid and all of the other WACKO POLITICIANS out of office

9. Chertoff Who?

10. Wheres the DAMN FENCE

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

OK... here we go The Top Ten things we need to do to secure our border

1. Wheres the DAMN FENCE

2. Why do we not have our ARMED FORCES on the BORDER

3. WHERES THE DAMN FENCE

4. Chertoff Who?

5. Dismantle the Department of Homeland Security and outsource it to a competent country that will have Americans best interest in mind. This Country does not. It is corrupt and has the NAU and Global Business in mind more so than it's citizens

6. Maybe China can do what the American Government Just Will Not DO Protect Americans

7. Wheres the DAMN FENCE

8. Impeach Bush.. Boot Pelosi, Reid and all of the other WACKO POLITICIANS out of office

9. Chertoff Who?

10. Wheres the DAMN FENCE

I really have nothing else to say . Kudos and Stand tall

Originally Posted by tencz57

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

OK... here we go The Top Ten things we need to do to secure our border

1. Wheres the DAMN FENCE

2. Why do we not have our ARMED FORCES on the BORDER

3. WHERES THE DAMN FENCE

4. Chertoff Who?

5. Dismantle the Department of Homeland Security and outsource it to a competent country that will have Americans best interest in mind. This Country does not. It is corrupt and has the NAU and Global Business in mind more so than it's citizens

6. Maybe China can do what the American Government Just Will Not DO Protect Americans

7. Wheres the DAMN FENCE

8. Impeach Bush.. Boot Pelosi, Reid and all of the other WACKO POLITICIANS out of office

9. Chertoff Who?

10. Wheres the DAMN FENCE

I really have nothing else to say . Kudos and Stand tall

10-4 Semper FI

"If the cartels are not curtailed, Peña said, the U.S., too, could be at risk."

So, we must allow them to steal into our country, take our jobs, use our services at the expense of American citizens and now we must enter their drug war????
We are already at risk, their product floods our cities and streets. I do not have the numbers available to me, but I will make my guess and say that 50% or more of crimes in America are directly or indirectly related to drugs.

Hate me if you will, but we have lost the War on Drugs and we waste $45 billion each year in our foolish efforts to control it. We need a wise guru to assume responsibility for the drug problem in America, change the laws and get realistic about drugs. We have lost the current war. The USA has an extremely high number of our citizens in jails this year. A big number of them on drug charges.
I am not in favor of drug usage. I do not use drugs. I do look to see how other countries handle the drug issue and I believe we are primitive in our approach.
I am not in favor of legalizing all drugs, but I ask you to consider what the market value of drugs would be if they were legal. How many deaths, robberies, burgalries, etc would disappear if drugs were readily available? I repeat, I am not in favor of legalizing all drugs, I am simply trying to express my belief that if we went to the opposite extreme (again, I do not recommend that, I am only trying to get a point across), a great number of crimes in America would be significantly reduced.

I maintain that if drugs were legal in America, the bottom of the drug market would fall out. I also believe that it is in the best interests of a lot of people to maintain the staus quo. That $45 B is covering a lot of people's expenses.

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

OK... here we go The Top Ten things we need to do to secure our border

1. Wheres the DAMN FENCE

2. Why do we not have our ARMED FORCES on the BORDER

3. WHERES THE DAMN FENCE

4. Chertoff Who?

5. Dismantle the Department of Homeland Security and outsource it to a competent country that will have Americans best interest in mind. This Country does not. It is corrupt and has the NAU and Global Business in mind more so than it's citizens

6. Maybe China can do what the American Government Just Will Not DO Protect Americans

7. Wheres the DAMN FENCE

8. Impeach Bush.. Boot Pelosi, Reid and all of the other WACKO POLITICIANS out of office

9. Chertoff Who?

10. Wheres the DAMN FENCE

Sounds like a plan.

This is a Mexican problem. Centuries of government corruption have caused this. Its not up to American to straighten it out. What America does need to do it close our borders and keep the violence out of this country. Exactly why we have the National Guard.

bigtex--
Do you think Jorge Bushado or Juan Mcainez wants to close the border???

Originally Posted by misterbill

bigtex--
Do you think Jorge Bushado or Juan Mcainez wants to close the border???

Nope. Now that Mexico has given up oil rights to private companies, Bush has lots of personal friends that want a piece of it. Not to mention all of his business friends that need slave labor to work for them.