Drug Cartels Threaten U.S. Trade

Statement

Last week I chaired a field hearing in Laredo to examine the need for additional technology at ports of entry to more efficiently detect illegal contraband. Our border crossings that serve as a pipeline for economic growth are inundated by illegal drug shipments. According to the Department of Justice, more than 90% of all illicit narcotics come into the United States through official ports of entry hidden among cargo and travelers. Every year over 1.6 million trucks pass through the Laredo port of entry. We cannot physically inspect or scan every single truck. I will continue working with DHS to utlilize inexpensive, off-the-shelf technology and already-paid-for DOD technology for our ports of entry.

Also of great concern is human smuggling and the possibility that terrorists could infiltrate the United States with weapons of mass destruction. Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw testified that the Rio Grande Valley leads the nation in the number of illegal immigrants arrested along the border between ports of entry from countries that have a documented terrorism presence such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia.

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