Drugs, National Security and the Mexican Border - UPDATE
Posted by StormWarning on 31 Jan 2006 at 02:16 pm | Tagged as: Current Affairs, Federal Policy, National Security, Opinions
The security issue on our shared border with Mexico continues to rage beyond where we stood the other day when the drug tunnel was discovered by ICE near San Diego (check out the slides showing the tunnel). I know that there’s alot of material in my previous post (and the comments), but I believe that this is a good background piece on the topic: Drug Tunnels and National Security
Now there is a report of Mexican nationals planning to cross the border with an unknown quantity of plastic explosives (even though the report is from a "shaky source of low credibility" I think we should listen more closely). There are also repeated reports of people crossing the Mexican border to assassinate our Border Patrol agents:
Listen to Michael Cutler of the Counterterrorism Blog on "Lou Dobbs" on the subject of Broken Borders.
Now, listen to Steve Emerson on the "Joe Scarborough" show speaking on Trafficking Terror on our Mexican border (Pat Buchanan’s on this video as well). Reports of attacks along the border against our local law enforcement officers. One of the distressing things is that the locals have apparently not been informed by DHS.
How the heck does GWB’s open border, guest worker amnesty plan make sense in this light? Emerson’s point is that the porous borders of the United States, especially the Southern Mexican border opens this country up to terrorist attacks. Guns and weapons…along with drugs and people…Mexican soldiers on the U.S. side of the border…Mexican "green berets" mounting incursions into our country and joining the drug cartels.
According to those on the video report, we are facing a potential border war with Mexico, and a seriously worsening situation regarding our Nation’s security. I, for one, am not surprised one bit.
- Technorati Mexico, illegal aliens
Current Affairs, Federal Policy, National Security, Opinions
Have to take issue with the "open border" comment.
From "a reliable source":
11, 2001 to 10,835 on December 1, 2003. Between ports of entry on the
northern border, the size of the Border Patrol has tripled to more than
1,000 agents. In addition, the Border Patrol is continuing installation
of monitoring devices along the borders to detect illegal activity.
businesses and workers in the secure areas of domestic airports and ensure
immigration law compliance. Since 9/11, DHS has audited 3,640 businesses,
examined 259,037 employee records, arrested 1,030 unauthorized workers,
and participated in the criminal indictment of 774 individuals.
System (SEVIS), an internet-based system that is improving America’s ability
to track and monitor foreign students and exchange visitors. Over 870,000
students are registered in SEVIS. Of 285 completed field investigations,
71 aliens were arrested.
identifiers to record the entry and exit of aliens who travel into the U.S
on a visa. Together with the standard information, this new program will
confirm compliance with visa and immigration policies.
That info is over a year old. What I don’t find is the White House
endorsing an "open border". What Bush has supported the entire time
is allowing qualified persons to enter the US and work legally as opposed
to what we have now. An industry has to PROVE they need the workers and
then workers can work in those industries. That in no way applies to what
they are doing in regards to border control. I would think, given the
industry, you would be excited about the biometric tracking of aliens in this
country. Our culture and influence has been spread throughout the world
via our higher education system and economic policies that allow almost anyone
to prosper. To shut the door on the rest of the world IMO would only allow
the extremists of the world to prosper and cause the US even more harm than they
do now. Closing our borders entirely to everyone is a horrid idea.
Letting them in unchecked is equally as dangerous. There has to be a
logical middle ground. IMO, that middle ground is sealing our border and
allowing those qualified to enter and work and/or learn. And, that is
exactly what Bush is trying to do now.
It seems that we disagree of this one.
When I wrote “open border” I should have been more clear. But in fact, the GWB policy of guest workers and illegal immigrant amnesty is a bankrupt strategy in my opinion.
(1) Border Patrol manpower thru 2003 doesn’t address the current state of affairs with Mexican military incursions across our border, or the fact that our Border Patrol agents are being targeted for assassination by Mexican drug cartels.
(2) Not being familiar with Operation Tarmac, I am only able to comment that an illegal worker is always going to be illegal…unless that worker is somehow legalized.
(3) SEVIS or otherwise, the Visa Waiver Program and other Visa entry programs is still an aspect of our National Security that opens our country to terrorism and threats.
(4) Biometrics is far from being a panacea to identification. Study after study shows that unless a more complex (and therefore costly) template is employed, then biometrics can be compromised. To my knowledge, which I admit could be faulty or out of date, finger printing is the current “standard.”
Finally, the White House citing is now two years old and does not address the issues discussed by Cutler or Emerson…or even Buchanan.
Issue continues…
My problem is I’m looking more at the realities of what’s going on than the big picture. The reality is there are a lot of people already here and certain industries are relying on them. We can’t just kick them all out. There has to be some mechanism to allow workers into the US. That is a totally unrelated subject when discussing illegal immigrants that come here just to get away from where they are for varying reasons. Keep them out any way you can. Bush has allowed funding for a partial wall to be built between us and Mexico. He has hired additional border patrol, he has allowed increased surveillance, etc.. But yet, the authors come to the conclusion he desires an “open border”. I just don’t agree with the summation. If he did, he would have sent in the Feds to remove the posses scouring the border at this time. Just because he hasn’t threatened to shut EVERY Mexican out is not justification that he wants EVERY Mexican to have free passes.
BTW, one of the things that I am totally against is amnesty for illegal aliens of all countries of origin.
And I believe that you and I are in agreement on supporting HR 4312.
Moon, with all due respect, you are not seriously citing and increase of 1,000 agents along the southern border as a positive development? How many of that thousand were boots on the ground and how many were administrative? The ratio will stun you.
The best ‘detection device’ is a trained and armed professional human being. If it is of any value, I lived on the Mexican border (literally) for 12 years. The Border Patrol is so severely understaffed simply from a law enforcement perspective that it is painful to watch. Introduce the very real spectre of terrorism, and the situation becomes dire. The numbers need to more than double and the equipment needs to transform towards military standards. (A Mexican Army hummer with a ring-mount .50 cal is beyond Border Patrol spec.)
No one wants to address it. Forget immigration and Bush’s desired policy. Simply think security first. The southern border is like a sucking chest wound, and the order of emergency treatment is 1. Stop the Bleeding, 2. Start the breathing, 3. Treat for shock. We must first stop the bleeding at the border. Then we can worry about breathing some sort of immigration policy. Pick one, i don’t care much and will let others haggle that one out. But for crying out loud, let’s for once put the horse before the cart. The potential cost for turning the continued blind eye is higher than we care to bear.
For perspective, consider that there are already more MS-13 gang members inside the United States than there are agents (including administrative) on the southern border. If they can cut through our ‘beefed up’ Border Security…
Again, I say this with all due respect. It just fires me up because it just “ain’t rocket science”.
Well, Steve, I didn’t say it was the greatest effort in the world, but, the point was adding 1,000 jobs does not indicate an “open door policy”. Firing 1,000 might, but I don’t see the connection in hiring them. People can’t seem to draw the connection I’m trying to make, so I’ll make it simpler:
1. There are people here illegally and not contributing to our society. They should be sent back and a wall OR MORE built to keep them out.
2. There are people here illegally but contributing to our society. They should be treated with respect and given the same opportunities our forefathers, which includes almost every US citizen, received when they came here.
The problem is that people are not distinguishing the difference. By Bush saying he wanted some of the illegals who ARE contributing to be allowed to continue to contribute, people are jumping straight to the conclusion that Bush ( and anyone who thinks SOME illegals DO CONTRIBUTE )has an open door policy for ALL illegals. That just ain’t right. That’s all I’m saying. And, as you note, it ain’t rocket science. I don’t support isolationist policies. I do support keeping the bad guys out. There IS a big difference. And until people recognize that difference, this debate will remain stagnant.
Stopping Mexican military drug runs
Just read this by way of Real Clear Politics: Border law-enforcement officials and others were ordered this week to appear before a U.S. House committee on Tuesday to give testimony regarding Mexican military incursions into the United States. Several
And so the undeclared border wars on our southern perimeter with Mexico continue.
Border Cops Begging for Reinforcements
http://tinyurl.com/79v6z
Escalating violence along the U.S.-Mexico border came under congressional scrutiny Tuesday as law enforcement officials urged lawmakers to boost federal spending and manpower to combat heavily armed and increasingly brazen drug traffickers.
Texas sheriffs told a House hearing that an armed standoff last month in Hudspeth County, on the Rio Grande south of El Paso, involved traffickers wearing Mexican military-style uniforms, an incident a State Department official called “a serious incursion.”
Federal and state law enforcement agents testified that agencies are undermanned, and agents and deputies are working with severe budget challenges as violence spills over the Rio Grande into Texas.
“I am concerned that the drug cartels will further escalate the violence with the use of explosives,” Arvin West, the Hudspeth County sheriff, told the House homeland security subcommittee on investigations…[more]
Fear is stalking newsroomafter Nuevo Laredo attack
http://tinyurl.com/9d8y8
They had reported the city’s violence hundreds of times before. Then it knocked on their own front door.
The day after two hooded men burst into the lobby of their building, sprayed their newsroom with automatic weapons and tossed a grenade, reporters at El Mañana did their best to maintain a veneer of normalcy.
Monday night’s attack injured one reporter, who remained hospitalized in stable condition.
By Tuesday, the pockmarked walls at the city’s leading daily were filled and painted. Windows and doors were replaced, the shattered glass and debris swept away.
But the swiftness of the cleanup belied the nervousness reporters felt and the muzzling of a free press that some predict will affect other Nuevo Laredo news organizations.
“There’s a psychosis of fear in the newsroom,” said one reporter who witnessed the attack. “The goal for the day is to get in, write as quickly as possible and get out.”
El Mañana, like other city papers, already had been censoring its own coverage to avoid provoking the drug cartels that are fighting for control of the area’s smuggling routes…[more]
Its clearly an escalation of violence and retribution by the drug cartels. My question is how much is the Mexican government or military actually involved? Remains to be seen.
Strangely, this morning we read that “even the Laredo police” don’t consider the border area “that” dangerous is you’re not involved in the narcotics trade. Here are a few selected items from today’s Google News…
How Dangerous Is The Mexican Border?
http://cbs11tv.com/local/local_story_041212837.html
I guess that ignores the recent upsurge in incursions by Mexican nationals, perhaps Mexican military or perhaps others posing as Mexican military, firing shots at U.S. Border Patrol agents.
There have been 27 murders so far this year. The murder rate has tripled within the last few months.
Texas Governor Rick Perry calls the escalating violence along the U.S.-Mexico border “an emergency,” but just how dangerous is the border region?
Three vans, car crash on U-S side of Mexican border near San Diego
http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=4486564&nav=0RbQ
OPINION: The fact is that minimizing the problem, will not make it go away. Just what the heck is the Mexican government doing to stop these incursions? And what is their motivation in not doing so?