Letter to Attorney General Gonzales
Letter to Attorney General Gonzales
Cornyn Asks Attorney General Gonzales To Review Justice Department Resources Dedicated To Fighting Violence On Border
WASHINGTON- U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Chairman of the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship Subcommittee, sent the following letter to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Friday regarding the increasing crime and violence in Nuevo Laredo, which is starting to spread into Texas:
Dear General Gonzales:
Thank you for your service to our country. Your leadership in these challenging times is greatly appreciated. I write to you regarding the increasing crime and violence surrounding the ongoing drug wars in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, which is a matter of great concern to me.
As you know, this violence has spilled over into Laredo, Texas, and according to reports by the Dallas Morning News, it has reached far into North Texas. By all accounts, the violence stems from a war over smuggling routes between rival drug cartels. This violence has become so severe that Ambassador Garza temporarily closed the U.S. Consulate in Nuevo Laredo and has reportedly offered Mexico assistance in reorganizing its state police.
While reports indicate that much of the violence is limited to targets within Nuevo Laredo, border area police officials report that trained paramilitary escorts accompany drug shipments into the United States, and high-powered ammunition and weapons have been smuggled into Mexico. Additionally, I have read reports of U.S. Border Patrol agents being fired upon in the course of carrying out their jobs.
I respectfully request that you review current Departmental resources dedicated to fighting violent crime, narcotics smuggling, and illegal firearms trafficking and reallocate law enforcement resources to the Laredo area until this untenable situation is resolved.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
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Sen. Cornyn recently introduced the Comprehensive Enforcement and Immigration Reform Act of 2005, S.1438, to dramatically strengthen enforcement, bolster border security, and comprehensively reform our immigration laws. Sen. Cornyn is a member of the following key Senate Committees: Armed Services; Judiciary; Budget, Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and Joint Economic. Cornyn was previously Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice and Bexar County District Judge.
http://cornyn.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=245026