Border agents: We need more, not fewer

Corpus Christi Caller-Times ^ | October 10, 2009 | Editorial Board

[SwinneySwitch]

Recent reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security may cut back on the number of Border Patrol agents along the southern border have made U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, John McCain and John Kyl of Arizona and several others very nervous.

Nervous enough to write DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano a letter, asking for reassurance that no such cuts are being planned.

“ we would like you to confirm that the current strength of 17,415 agents will be maintained or increased in fiscal year 2010,” the letter reads.

Hopefully the reports of border agent cutbacks are indeed erroneous. Surely Napolitano is aware of the extreme concerns of border states regarding the spillover of violence from Mexico.

Cornyn issued a press release Tuesday in which he commented, “As violence continues to rise along the U.S-Mexican border, with 24 murders in the past 24 hours in the border city of Juarez alone, now is certainly not the time to consider reducing the number of valuable Border Patrol agents along our southern border. If anything, DHS should be adding to their ranks and delivering additional resources to support their critical efforts to protect residents in Texas and other border states from drug cartel and gang-related violence.”

The border is a long way from Washington, D.C., so these security issues may not seem to be of critical importance there. But to those who live within an hour or two of the border, they are terrifying. There are few issues more important to Texas, Arizona and New Mexico than keeping Mexico’s drug and gang violence out of our states.

Surely Napolitano, former governor of Arizona, is aware of the importance of securing the border. Since President Barack Obama chose her to head the DHS, he too likely was thinking about border security. Only two months ago, Napolitano announced $30 million in grants, including nearly $13 million to Texas, to help border cities keep the violence from spilling over.

Following an August summit in Mexico, Napolitano stated that border security would require addressing illegal immigration, drug trafficking and violence in Mexico.

“For the first time,” she said, “our two countries are treating this issue of the drug cartels and border-related violence as a shared problem.” (Los Angeles Times, Aug. 11)

Since immigration reform seems to be on the back burner for now in the Obama administration, it would be helpful to see at least some action on the drug cartels and violence. If there were an easy solution to these problems they would have been resolved decades ago. Instead, the problems continue to grow. U.S. demand for illegal drugs keeps them flowing north, while Mexican demand for guns keeps weapons flowing south. The drug cartels slaughter each other and anybody who gets in the way.

Both Mexico and the United States suffer due to this violence. In 2008, more than 5,000 people were killed in drug and gang wars in Mexico. A Department of Defense report last year stated that Mexico could destabilize rapidly. If that happens, we could see refugees and even a complete breakdown of law and order.

As Napolitano noted, any real fix will require the full cooperation of both the Mexican and U.S. governments. Unless the U.S. can somehow diminish the demand for drugs, the Mexican drug cartels will continue to supply that demand, and the violence will go on. The Mexican government also needs to muster the strength and determination to destroy the powerful, wealthy drug cartels. Hopefully both governments will cooperate in developing plans that actually do some good.

In the meantime, all we can do is hold back the tide of violence by increasing — not cutting — the number of agents at the border. Gov. Rick Perry last month pledged to deploy Texas Rangers to high-crime areas of the border, and earlier this year asked for 1,000 National Guard troops to help; some Guardsmen already have started working with the Rangers. More are needed.

With the federal government, border states and Mexico all working together, we’ll at least have a chance to defeat the drug cartels and gangs and reestablish peace at our southern border.

[SwinneySwitch]

"In the meantime, all we can do is hold back the tide of violence by increasing — not cutting — the number of agents at the border."

[Son House]

Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, John McCain and John Kyl of Arizona and several others very nervous.

Nervous enough to write DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano a letter

^
Why hadn’t they passed legislation that would have protected us from a liberal DHS Secretary? Oh, Barack Ocarter would be a fine President, eh McCain?

[ronnie raygun]

The American people are being given governmental pain management, as the pain threshold is reached it is backed off a bit given some meds and some time. Again the pain reaches a new threshold backs off a bit some more meds and some time elapses. This incremental strategy is used on all fronts to move thier agenda forward.

[DumpsterDiver]

There are few issues more important to Texas, Arizona and New Mexico than keeping Mexico's drug and gang violence out of our states.

Hey, I'm here in California and I'm not in favor of anything coming into this state from Mexico.

[Gilbo_3]

yep, there is an agency that is actually gettin a 'cut'...

not in their budget mind you, but bambamhussein can 'honestly' say he 'cut' somethin...

[FlyingEagle]

Its ok just give all the border patrol money to the Texas Rangers and we will take care of it ourselves down here.

[SIDENET]

Recent reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security may cut back on the number of Border Patrol agents along the southern border

Of course they're going to cut border patrol agents.

They need the money for extra DHS agents to keep an eye on Iraq war veterans.