Napolitano: 'Unique' chance exists to hit drug cartels

JOHN YAUKEY and DEBORAH BARFIELD BERRY
Gannett Washington Bureau

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on U.S.-Mexico border violence last week in Washington.

WASHINGTON - The time is right for striking at the Mexican drug cartels, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Tuesday.

"We have a unique opportunity now in time because of the priority this has taken with the president of Mexico to break up these cartels," said the former Arizona governor and federal prosecutor.

Mexican President Felipe Calderón has been widely praised by the Obama administration for his courage in taking on the cartels that have ravaged northern Mexico and spread into the U.S.

Napolitano said she hopes an upcoming series of meetings with Mexican officials involving her, President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder will lead to more U.S. interdiction on southbound guns and cash.

But she said the Mexican government will be pressed on what resources it's going to put into Mexico's northern territories to fight the cartels.

"Having the president of Mexico take the lead is something new," she said. "Clearly, putting his administration behind this - that's a unique opportunity."

Federal officials say Mexico's drug cartels have infiltrated as many as 230 U.S. cities.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and panel top Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine introduced legislation Tuesday to provide an additional $550 million to fight drug violence along the border.

7 TOTAL COMMENTS

1 hour, 9 minutes agoI'm a liberal but this war is unwinnable unless you do two things... Two things I support.

1. Create a treaty with the South that allows the U.S. Military to go into Mexico and South America to us Military force to oblitorate manufactoring and crop fields. Fight the drug war like a war.

The U.S. military is the only insitution that is well funded enough to go toe to toe with Mexican and South American Drug Cartels. Can you immagine F-16' dropping bombs on cocaine fields in Columbia. No Contest.

2. Legalize natural grown narcotics, tax them and fund rehab centers with the tax money, much like we use cigarette money to fund schools.

Two extremes. We need to stop pointing fingers at the pawns and we need to take out the ones responsible the users or the sellers.1967

1 hour, 43 minutes agoWhy doesn't Nappy use the same methods she used as Governor, simply look the other way, make speeches about addressing the problem, then promote amnesty and a free ride. Don't worry Nappy, the drug lords will love you.thud68

2 hours ago...neither the Citizen or the Star have the story of the "illegals" that were rounded up in Washington State last month. It appears that they have been released and provided leads for other jobs. WHY WERE THEY NOT DEPORTED?...

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/nationworld/113346.php