Free Republic

U.S. National Intelligence Director James Clapper told lawmakers here that drug-related violence in Mexico poses a security threat to the United States and acknowledged that the system in place to prevent a potential terrorist from penetrating the U.S. southwestern border is not "iron-clad." During an appearance Thursday before the Senate Armed Forces Committee, Clapper reiterated the U.S. government's position that drug trafficking and the prevalence of drug cartels in Mexico is a "matter of national security interest in both countries." Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2011/03/11/intel-chief-mexico-drug-violence-poses-security-threat/#ixzz1GZkPVmI8

AUSTIN - The Texas Department of Public Safety is advising students on spring break to avoid drug violence-plagued Mexico. A DPS statement Tuesday cited the continued violence and also urged boaters to stay on the U.S. side of Falcon Lake. A U.S. drug agent was shot and killed Feb. 15 in Mexico. The victim was Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Jaime Zapata. DPS Director Steven McCraw says while drug cartel violence is most severe in northern Mexico, it's prominent in other parts of the country, including resort areas such as Cancun and Acapulco.