Texas plans 'surge' for border security

Texas plans 'surge' for border security

• By Matthew Waller Scripps Texas Newspapers
• Posted December 4, 2013 at 4:11 p.m.

AUSTIN — Texas officials announced plans to pursue a permanent, $60 million a year surge for border security, on the heels of a three-week crime focus in the Rio Grande Valley.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst joined Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw Wednesday at the Capitol, saying that they intended to fight drug cartels and related crime “at the river” before it spills into the rest of Texas.

“Illegal immigration is a serious problem, made even worse by drug trafficking, the northern migration of transnational gangs that do us harm in other states, and human trafficking,” Dewhurst said.

The announcement came in a room where DPS had posted results from Operation Strong Safety, a three-week operation where DPS coordinated with local, state and federal partners in the Rio Grande Valley where they said they saw significant criminal activity.

The results included, as compared with the three weeks prior, a 42 percent decrease in cocaine seizures, a 95 percent decrease in methamphetamine seizures, a 185 percent increase in U.S. currency seizures, and a 74 percent decrease in felony pursuits, according to DPS materials.

The operation cost about $3.4 million.

McCraw spoke about the cartels as the most significant organized crime threat to Texas “times two,” calling them violent, “depraved” and “cowardly.”

“We have a right to live in communities free of harm, and free of danger from Mexican cartels and violent gangs, and from other threats and consequences of an unsecure border,” McCraw said.

ACLU of Texas Executive Director Terri Burke said the surge detracts from real issues of solving drug trafficking problems.

“It’s a stunt, and it’s pointless,” she said.

She said border security is in the federal government’s purview and that if it took only $60 million to effectively secure the border, it would’ve been done long ago.

“The state doesn’t need to be spending its money on this,” Burke said.

Dewhurst is vying for re-election with three conservative candidates running for his seat in the primaries.

The efforts wouldn’t be aimed at illegal immigration but about cross-border crime.

Dewhurst issued two charges to the Senate Agriculture, Rural Affairs & Homeland Security Committee, giving them an issue to examine during the interim, the time between legislative sessions.

He asked the committee to evaluate the effectiveness of the surges and make recommendations in how to further security.

For the second charge: “In an effort to improve law enforcement and border security efforts, Dewhurst instructed the committee to study whether current crime statistics reporting accurately measures all crime and crimes related to illegal border activities,” a release from Dewhurst’s office states. “Dewhurst also instructed the committee to make recommendations on how to best take advantage of the available crime data and identify potential barriers to adopting a more comprehensive statewide system.”

The new surge wouldn’t include the controversial checkpoints that were misinterpreted as law enforcement doing immigration checks, Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said.

He said the public outcry against the checkpoints, and under advice from lawmakers such as state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, DPS wouldn’t use the checkpoints any more.

The state has already spent about $800 million since 2008 to address border security, Dewhurst said.

“I’m going to send an invoice to President Obama,” Dewhurst said.

To get the funds outside of the regular appropriations process, Dewhurst would need to get the approval of the Legislative Budget Board, which means having the approval of House Speaker Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio.

Straus’ office could not be immediately reached.

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2013...rder-security/

Multi-agency operation aims to put dent in Mexican cartel business

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by JIM BERGAMO / KVUE News and Photojournalist CHRIS SHADROCK
Bio | Email | Follow: @JimB_KVUEkvue.com
Posted on December 4, 2013 at 5:17 PM
Updated today at 5:24 PM

AUSTIN -- What does it take to cause a severe dent in the Mexican drug cartel operations in Texas?

State leaders say a recent multi-agency operation is proof that border patrol agents can negatively impact the cartels' business.

When it comes to the Mexican drug cartels and their foothold in Texas, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst stated the facts.

"Seven of the eight major Mexican cartels are using Texas as a staging and a shipment area for trafficking drugs, weapons and people," said Dewhurst.

It's why local, state and federal law enforcement agencies staged Operation Strong Safety. For three weeks they hit the cartels where it hurts the most -- in the wallet.

"The cartels are operating based on profits," said Steven McCraw, the Texas Department of Public Safety Director. "Whether it's humans or drugs is based on money."

Border patrol agents flooded the Rio Grande Valley working 12 hour shifts.

"The results were predictable," said McCraw. "I mean it's not rocket science."

McCraw says over a period of time the cartels can not withstand steep losses in contraband and people.

"Initially what happens is seizures go up and arrests go up, but there's a tipping point when they go down," he said.

McCraw says that's exactly what happened as marijuana and cocaine seizures were down nearly 50 percent and felony pursuits dropped 74 percent.

Dewhurst says it's proof that the nearly $800 million of Texas tax dollars spent on border security has been worth it. He says the fight needs to continue.

"The bad guys don't have to worry about an appropriations process," said Dewhurst. "They just sell more drugs, steal more cars or extort more money from human trafficking."

Dewhurst says to effectively shut down the Texas border, the number of border patrol agents need to double or triple. He says he'll continue to push Washington, D.C. to increase the number of agents in Texas.

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Recen...234492661.html