Thread: Texas Gov. Perry: U.S. Troops Needed on Border

Texas Gov. Perry: U.S. Troops Needed on Border

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 11:34 AM

PHOENIX — A U.S. plan to crack down on drug, gun, and cash smuggling over the Mexico border drew a mixed response on Tuesday, with some doubting it would be enough to curb runaway violence.

The strategy aims to fight the growing power and violence of Mexican cartels, which ship thousands of tons of drugs into the United States and take weapons and cash back to Mexico, where cartels have murdered more than 7,000 people since the start of last year.

"I believe the United States has a very real opportunity to really reduce the flow of guns to Mexico," said Susan Ginsburg, director of the mobility and security program of the Migration Policy Institute think tank in Washington. "These steps that were taken today can make a very good start."

But Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, said more federal agents and even troops are needed to secure the border in his state, besides measures set out in the plan.

Mexican authorities have urged the United States repeatedly to curb gun-running to Mexico, where nine of every 10 weapons recovered from crime scenes are traced to U.S. gun deals.

Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa described the plan as being "consistent with our bilateral relation in fighting organized crime, specifically the determination of both governments to stamp out the trafficking of weapons, illegal chemicals and cash from the United States to Mexico."

The administration's plan assigns more agents from the departments of Justice, Treasury, and Homeland Security to the border. It foresees adding 100 more agents to screen southbound vehicle and rail traffic into Mexico, while adding new X-ray and other equipment at border stations.

But Perry said the real needs are for "more Border Patrol agents and officers at the bridges to conduct increased northbound and southbound inspections, as well as additional funding for local law enforcement along the border to deny Mexican drug cartels access to the United States."

He reiterated a call he made to the administration this year to send 1,000 more National Guard troops to the border to support law enforcement.

The administration's plan would provide $59 million to local U.S. enforcement authorities for border efforts, a move welcomed by local police on the border in Arizona, the principal corridor for illegal immigrant and marijuana smuggling to the United States.

"We hit a dry spell when the border didn't seem to be important back in Washington, but now the administration is realizing how important the border is," said Yuma County Sheriff Ralph Ogden.

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/perry_ ... 95911.html

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, said more federal agents and even troops are needed to secure the border in his state, besides measures set out in the plan.

Rick Perry is right, and this is the ONLY solution. If the U.S. really wanted to stop it, they could.