Expert: Cartel Violence a Threat to South Texas

Posted: Aug 23, 2012 6:07 PM Updated: Aug 23, 2012 6:31 PM

WESLACO - A Mexican national said he wants the world to know the atrocities perpetrated by cartels in Mexico could bleed onto U.S. soil.

"The problem in Mexico is the war between cartels, more than the action of the Mexican government, or the government forces, against the criminals," he said. He asked us not to reveal his identity.

The man said he lives in danger. He sides with the government, and cartels are extremely dangerous.

"I believe the Mexican government has done their job," he said. "They are doing their job ... I believe ... No criminal group can defeat the State,"

He said turf battles have turned Mexican border towns into ghost towns. He said the line that divides the U.S. from Mexico doesn't matter.
"The border can't stop the violence," he said. "The violence is going to come to McAllen ... the violence will come to Brownsville ... If it's not already there."

Human smugglers and drug pushers lead police on high-speed chases almost daily in the Valley. More of those crimes are tied to Mexican criminal organizations, police said.

"From Brownsville to Ciudad Juarez, we can see this violence. This violence is affecting the population," he said.

From the Mexican side of the border, this man tells us he sees the United States in jeopardy. The commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture agrees.

Todd Stapples said officials in Washington need to do more now.
"If your house is not on fire, good for you ... but if your neighbor's house is on fire we need to help put it out. There are houses on fire in Texas. We need to join together," Stapples said.

Stapples said the government needs to triple the number of border patrol agents along the border. He said more surveillance is needed.

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