Thread: Ex-envoy forecasts 10-year fight to secure Mexico, border

Border drug war: Ex-envoy forecasts 10-year fight to secure Mexico, border

(4:52 a.m.)By Ramon Bracamontes \ El Paso Times
Posted: 05/28/2010 04:52:38 AM MDT

EL PASO -- A former U.S. ambassador to Mexico said Thursday in Washington, D.C., that it will take 10 years for Mexico to break free from the violence that has taken hold and killed about 23,000 people.
John D. Negroponte, ambassador to Mexico from 1989 to 1993, told a joint hearing of the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism and the Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, that fixing Mexico and in turn securing the border will take about that long.

"This is a project that will take a decade," Negroponte said. "That is what it took in Plan Colombia (a program to help Colombia fight drug trafficking in 2000). I hope the politicians on both sides have the patience to see this through."

He was one of seven panelists who testified at the hearing.

A direct telephone and online link to the hearing was provided to the El Paso Times.

Negroponte urged Congress to keep cooperating with Mexico and helping it because that country is serious about solving its drug-trafficking problem.

"Mexico has already spent $13 billion of their funds to carry out the mission," he said. "The U.S. has a national security interest in dealing with the drug trafficking, and we cannot pass up this effort to help a good neighbor."

The subcommittees joined to host the hearing titled "U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation: Next Steps for the Merida Initiative."

The U.S. is providing Mexico $1.3 billion to help it get rid of the

drug cartels that have waged war since 2007. The initiative also offers Mexico and other nations money to improve judicial systems and improve training for law enforcement officers.
Since a vicious drug war began in Juárez in 2008, more than 5,000 people have been killed, including about 30 from the U.S.

Congress is now conducting hearings to see whether the Merida Initiative is worth funding again.

Among those who testified was Bill McDonald, a rancher from Douglas, Ariz.

McDonald was the neighbor of Robert Krentz, a prominent Arizona rancher and cattleman who was slain March 27 while on his ranch at Douglas. Arizona officials have said Krentz was killed by someone from Mexico who fled back to Mexico. Arizona law enforcement suspect that the shooter had ties to Mexican drug cartels.

McDonald's ranch sits along the U.S.-Mexico border in southern Arizona. He told Congress members that he is not sure he wants his children and grandchildren to continue living and ranching along the border.

"Our area has become a de facto demilitarized zone," McDonald said. "I respectfully request that the federal government do its job now and protect the citizens of this country."

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., told officials from federal agencies that in Arizona one can drive for hours along the border without seeing a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

When Mariko Silver, deputy assistant secretary for policy, Office of International Affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, responded that agents were working hard along the border, Giffords interrupted.

"In my opinion that is not enough," Giffords said. "We are out-manned, out-gunned and out-resourced. We need to do more."

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., asked federal agencies present to make sure they talk to people living along the U.S-Mexico border before they implement any new programs.

"Perception is reality, and the perception right now is the feeling that the border is no safer today than before," Thompson said. "Knowing that, what do we need to fix the problem?"

The $500 million that President Barack Obama wants to send to the border for new agents and equipment will go a long way toward helping, said Alonzo Pena, deputy assistant secretary for operations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the Homeland Security Department.

He said the 1,200 National Guard troops who might be sent to the border would also help.

Thompson asked the federal agencies to report back to the committee with a specific plan.

Ramon Bracamontes may be reached at rbracamontes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6142.

http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_15180472

The U.S. is providing Mexico $1.3 billion to help it get rid of the drug cartels that have waged war since 2007.

Our money is better spent sealing the border on our side. Sealing the border would dry up the flow of drugs and money to the cartels and diminish their power. The cartels seem to be in charge of the human smuggling and from the pictures I have seen it seems to me that a lot of those folks just coming here for a "better way of life" walk in with packs of drugs on their backs or pregnant.

I think that the demand for drugs and prostitution would diminish if the illegals were deported. A large number of the prostitution rings that have been broken up and that have reported in the news, were servicing the illegals, not U. S. citizens.

I get the impression that they also perpetrate a huge amount of welfare fraud by having jackpot babies and claiming to be single when they are married and hubby works for cash.

It would really help us to take the illicit profit out of the cartels biggest product and California is moving in the right direction on marijuana.