Two US Congressman Want To Flood The Mexican Border With Military Weapons

Two US Congressman Want To Flood The Mexican Border With Military Weapons

Business Insider
Eloise Lee|March 28, 2012

http://static7.businessinsider.com/i...00014/tank.jpg

The U.S. border with Mexico may very well become armed with military equipment coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan.
That's the hope of two Texas congressmen, Republican Ted Poe and Democrat Henry Cuellar, along with 17 border sheriffs from Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.

They sent a letter to Defense Secretary requesting that he send surplus equipment to the border with Mexico.

Weapons and hardware from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom would go a long way.

"For years, the American people have invested their money in equipment that has been used to defend the borders of other nations; it’s time that we use this equipment to secure the United States," said Representative Poe.

He's also officially introduced the SEND Act (Send Equipment For National Defense), a bill that would require the Secretary of Defense to transfer at least 10% of military equipment returning from Iraq to federal and state law enforcement agents that patrol the border with Mexico.

Representative Poe says border security is a national security issue and that's why he wants the Defense Secretary's involvement. Pointing out that state and local officials are on the "front lines" of the southern border fighting to protect Americans from spillover violence from Mexico, he says they need much more fire power.

“They do the best they can with what they’ve got but they are out-manned and out-gunned by the drug cartels and they are desperate for more resources."

His colleague Representative Cueller says the U.S has to help law enforcement "beef up" their resources to meet the demands of border security.

There are already Department of Defense initiatives to support public safety and homeland security units with military-grade technology and equipment. We've previously reported the Pentagon is offering free military hardware to police departments in the U.S and has been authorized to do so under section 1033 the National Defense Authorization Act.

This new request will try make sure that only the most modern equipment gets passed along to domestic border agents in the U.S. The military hasn't even finished its operations in Afghanistan.

Two US Congressman Want To Flood The Mexican Border With Military Weapons - Business Insider

POE AND CUELLAR: SEND SURPLUS EQUIPMENT TO THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER

This week, Congressman Ted Poe (TX-02) and Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-2 were joined by 17 border sheriffs from TX, AZ, and NM in sending a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, requesting that he send surplus equipment returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to the Southern border with Mexico.

Over the next several months, a massive draw down of U.S. Forces in Iraq will occur. More than 1.5 million pieces of equipment have already been shipped out of Iraq over the last year and nearly 900,000 remain. Much of this equipment would be useful to the federal, state and local law enforcement in their efforts to secure the border with Mexico. Congressman Poe also introduced H.R. 3422 the SEND Act which would direct the Department of Defense to make 10% of certain equipment returning from Iraq to the Southern border available for use by law enforcement agencies that patrol our southern border.

“We have brought this right to the Secretary of Defense, because border security is a national security issue,” said Poe. “State and local officials are on the front lines of the southern border fighting to protect Americans from spillover violence from Mexico. They do the best they can with what they’ve got but they are out-manned and out-gunned by the drug cartels and they are desperate for more resources. For years, the American people have invested their money in equipment that has been used to defend the borders of other nations; it’s time that we use this equipment to secure the United States. I thank Governor Perry for all the work he has done to secure the Texas border and I look forward to working with Secretary Panetta, Rep. Cuellar and the Texas border sheriffs to ensure that law enforcement has the equipment they need to protect our citizens.”

“If we want to boost border security, we have to help law enforcement agencies beef up their resources to meet this demand. We cannot have one without the other,” said Cuellar. “We intend to keep the lines of communication open with the Defense Department so that we can help our border law enforcement agencies navigate the equipment application process. I join Congressman Poe and our border sheriffs to help reinforce collaboration with Secretary Panetta for the betterment of our border communities.” In January, Cuellar hosted a meeting with Defense Department Assistant Undersecretary Paul N. Stockton in Laredo, Texas, to brief South Texas local law enforcement agencies on programs available through the DoD Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative. More than 100 officers, including border federal law enforcement agents, participated to learn more about military surplus equipment and technology acquisition.

POE AND CUELLAR: SEND SURPLUS EQUIPMENT TO THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER

Best idea out of congress in years, long over due, locals in south Texas are out gunned.

Reps Push Pentagon to Move Equipment to Border