Rio Grande Guardian - Cornyn Says He Will be Inviting Napolitano to the Texas Border Region

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U.S. Sen. John Cornyn says he intends to invite Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to the Texas border region so she can see firsthand the issues facing local and federal law enforcement officials.

Cornyn made the announcement on Saturday while meeting with several U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials at the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge in Laredo.

Cornyn was briefed on several issues concerning border security along Texas' southern border with Mexico and national security, including arms smuggling, and rising drug cartel and gang violence along our southern border.

"I believe this issue has serious implications not only for Texas, but for our entire nation as well," Cornyn said. "That is why I intend to invite Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to the Texas border region so she can see firsthand the issues facing local and federal law enforcement officials."

Cornyn, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee's Immigration, Refugees and Border Security Subcommittee, wants investigations and hearings in Congress about how best to help Mexico combat drug cartels. He said he would also be "writing to President Obama to ask for his personal attention to this critical issue."

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), drug cartels are obtaining arms from America by using ‘straw purchasers,' who purchase weapons at gun shops and gun shows in the United States under false pretenses.

The ATF says more than 7,700 guns sold in America were confiscated in Mexico last year, up from 3,300 the year before and about 2,100 in 2006. Based on information from Mexican authorities, ATF has reported that 90 percent of smuggled weapons come from the United States.

ATF officials were on hand for Cornyn's visit to Laredo. Also present were Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar, Laredo Police Chief Carlos Maldonado, and representatives from several U.S. federal agencies, including Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Border Patrol.

"With border violence steadily on the rise, including drug-related and weapons smuggling activities, I appreciated the opportunity to meet with local law enforcement officials along the border, representatives from U.S. federal agencies and Mexican officials to talk about the many complex issues our two nations face," Cornyn said.

Cornyn's visit comes on the heels of last Tuesday's blockade of border ports on entry by Mexican residents protesting the Mexican Army's presence in their community. The Mexican government and border mayors said the drug cartels were behind the protests. The protests in Reynosa led to street battles between the cartels and the Army with a number of soldiers and gang leaders killed.

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department said it was renewing a travel advisory warning to Americans about the increased threat of violent crimes along the border.

"The safety of Texas communities along the southern border with Mexico is a top priority of mine, and I am committed to making certain they do not fall victim to the rising violence," Cornyn said.

Earlier this month Cornyn met with Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan in Washington to discuss border violence, weapons smuggling and the drug cartels.

"In this post-9/11 world, it is important that the United States and Mexico and the nations' leaders maintain close relationships so we can work together to combat the escalating violence along our border," Cornyn said. "I will continue to examine ways to best use federal resources to quell border violence, including pushing for additional assistance to U.S. law enforcement personnel along the border."

Cornyn added that with the nation's ongoing military campaigns overseas, "it is easy to overlook the significance of the alarming violence occurring on our southern border."

To ensure national security and prevent the violence from spilling over into Texas and other border states, Cornyn said it was vital for thee U.S. to "dedicate sufficient attention to this problem and the resources needed to address it."

The increased violence and the media coverage it generates is hurting border trade. Cornyn said it is important that the US and Mexico "continue to work together on vital trade initiatives."

He pointed out that Laredo alone hosts more than 12,000 truck and 1,200 rail car crossings per day. "The local leaders and residents here understand the value of free trade," Cornyn said. "I will continue to push for stronger protections for the free trade that is so vital to Laredo and other border communities."

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