Thread: Military Moving to Border. Unfortunately, it's Mexican

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/ ... dt.01.html

The Mexican government is trying to restore order tonight on part of its porous border with the United States. Hundreds of Mexican federal troops have moved in and taken over the entire town of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. That town sinking deeper into drug, gang-fueled chaos. Nuevo Laredo is just over the border, of course, from Laredo, Texas.

Last week, the police chief of Nuevo Laredo, who had promised to get tough with drug gangs, was gunned down. He was assassinated. More than 30 bullets fired into his body just hours after he took office.

And over the weekend, Nuevo Laredo the scene of an incredible shootout between Mexican federal troops and local police officers. Those local police officers are now accused of protecting drug gangs, and more than 40 have been detained.

One federal agent was seriously wounded in the shootout. The entire Nuevo Laredo police force has been detained. The Mexican government is promising to move into other border towns as soon as possible.

Hundreds of people have been killed in gang-related violence in and around Nuevo Laredo so far this year. The U.S. State Department has issued travel warnings for U.S. citizens near the Mexican border.

This dangerous mix of guns, drugs and corrupt law enforcement officials in Mexico just miles from the U.S. border the subject of a border security hearing held on Capitol Hill today. U.S. officials say it is virtually impossible to fight crime and terror here in the United States without significant improvements in Mexican security.

Karen Schaler reports from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREN SCHALER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Coming across our borders in record numbers, millions of pounds of illegal drugs. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says drug seizures are up more than 63 percent. A House subcommittee raised concerns about the increase in drug trafficking along the border, and the threat to homeland security.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It seems to me the same people that are taking the illegals over the border, taking the drugs over the border, are sure enough taking al Qaeda cells over the border also.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you can smuggle drugs across, you can smuggle nuclear parts. If you can smuggle people across, you can smuggle drugs or nuclear parts. And to some degree, there is a merging of this.

SCHALER: Of all the drugs seized by Customs and Border Protection last year, almost 99 percent were seized along the southern border. In total, more than two million pounds of drugs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The southwest border is a center of gravity for most drugs smuggled into the United States. All smuggling, no matter what the commodity is involved, represents a vulnerability to our nation's security.

SCHALER: The increase in drug trafficking is also bringing an increase in violence along the southwest border.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drug related violence in Mexico has expanded beyond inter-gang warfare to include slayings of politicians, journalists, prison employees and police. This activity further undermines confidence in the government of Mexico and has the potential to spill over to the U.S. side of the border.

SCHALER: All the key U.S. agencies involved agree the only way to gain control of the border is by working together and sharing resources.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCHALER: But at the hearing, these U.S. agencies admitted they're just in the beginning stages of figuring out exactly how to work together. You have ICE and Customs and Border Protection both under Homeland Security, competing for funding and resources. Both agencies fielded some tough questions today about why they aren't sharing more information with each other. Both say they're working on it -- Lou.

DOBBS: Well, it's three-and-a-half years after 9/11. It is more than past time to work on it and to do something about border security, as we've been reporting on this broadcast now for the better part of that period.

Karen Schaler, thank you very much, reporting from Washington.

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Oh no, we really don't need troops on our borders. That surely wouldn't solve anything. Give me a freaking break. You think this crap would be going on if we had the National Guard on our borders. No way in hell I say. This is outright insanity that we keep allowing Mexico to engage in these acts of war against us. If I was in charge, all I'd have to say is watch out and I will say nothing further.

Dman, you said it!

I would tell the Mexican politicos that if they did not control this crap, get ready for the U.S. Army to control a zone 50 miles deep into their country. And if they don't like it, come and get us. Enough of this B.S.!

SCARECROW!!! I was thinking the SAME THING!! Why not set our border security up on THEIR SIDE of the border like a DMZ to make damn sure NOTHING gets into the US without our permission or by our invitation.

The border patrol stations can house these people on Mexican territory so that the babies born are recorded in Mexican records at Mexican expense.

This waiting until they are IN THE US.....doesn't fly anymore. Detain them in Mexico.

Brilliant Suggestion SCARECROW!!

I'm for it and if the Mexicans don't like it....well "quid pro quo" is all I can say!!

AND, all the "helpful" churches can send their bottled water hander outers to the "zone" and "help" sooner rather than later to achieve "NO MORE DEATHS". I mean how humane is that to force the border crossers all the way to the US Sonoran Desert before handing them some water. I say, take yourself and your bottled water to Mexico; give them a drink; turn them around; and send them south.

Well, Judy, if we can invade two countries halfway around the world in the name of fighting terrorism, why can't we invade one on our doorstep which is harboring, aiding and abetting illegal immigrants of all kinds, including drug smugglers, terrorists and assorted human detritus, all of whom move into this nation freely threatening our very way of life! I think it is perfeclty legitimate.

The U.N. and France and Germany would scream, but they can go to hell. When is the last time they did anything meaningful to bring law and order to the trouble spots of the world. France and Germany couldn't even solve the problem in Bosnia. We had to do it for them. Pathetic!

I've said it before, what we lack is not the means but the will. You'll see Mexican troops on U.S. soil protecting illegals, before you'll see U.S. troops in Mexico controlling the border area.

Yep...ScareCrow....you are probably right, but we have this thought to look forward to...if Mexican forces set foot on our soil, it will be the last foot they set anywhere and the last soil they set anything on!!