Jaime Zapata Border Enforcement Security Task Force Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of H.R. 915, the Jaime Zapata Border Enforcement Security Task Force Act. This bill, which will codify Border Enforcement
Security Task Force units, was named to honor the memory of slain Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Jaime Zapata.

In 2011, Special Agent Zapata and his associate, Special Agent Victor Avila, were ambushed on a dangerous stretch of highway in Mexico by the ruthless Zeta drug cartel. The vehicle that the two special agents were traveling in was forced off the road by the heavily armed thugs. Once the vehicle had come to a stop, the cartel members forced the doors open, fired their weapons at point blank range, and tried to drag away Special Agent Zapata, who fought back and was able to re-lock the doors. Special Agent Zapata tried to explain to the men that he and Special Agent Avila were U.S. diplomats. The gunman responded to his plea with bullets. Special Agent Zapata then heroically drove himself and Special Agent Avila away from the scene and to safety.

Investigators later found more than 80 individual bullet casings at the scene of the crime. By nothing short of a miracle, Special Agent Avila survived the ordeal. However, Jaime Zapata did not.

Border Enforcement Security Task Force units are comprised of DHS and other Federal, State, and local law enforcement personnel. They coordinate efforts to enhance border security and they mitigate threats posed by transnational crime, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, illegal alien traffic, violence, and kidnappings. These units will leverage the experience of personnel from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Customs and Border Protection, the United States Coast Guard, and other DHS components, as well as other Federal agencies, State, local, and tribal and, when appropriate, foreign law enforcement partners. With the increasing violence in Mexico and with the growing resourcefulness of vast criminal networks operating along the border, this type of interagency response is critical.

The men and women who have selflessly dedicated themselves to protecting our borders deserve this protection. Jaime Zapata paid the ultimate price, and I've made it a personal mission, along with my colleague from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), to help ensure that no more brave men and women are lost to the violence along our southwest border. In addition to drug cartels freely moving across the border with drugs, cash, and weapons, the growing presence of Iran and Hezbollah in Latin America are also a threat. We do not have the luxury of sitting idly by while those looking to do us harm continue to enter the United States illegally.

I would like to thank my friend and colleague Representative Cuellar for introducing this vitally important piece of bipartisan legislation. I would also like to thank Senators Lieberman and Collins for taking action on this bill.

H.R. 915 honors Special Agent Jaime Zapata by making sure that those who serve as he did have the tools they need to secure the border.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, just on a point of personal privilege, Mr. Cuellar and I will be embarking at the end of this week to head down to Mexico City to the President of Mexico's inauguration. I agree with my colleague that our relationship with Mexico is vitally important and the idea that the BEST teams, Border Enforcement Security Teams, have provided an invaluable service on the border. In terms of confiscating cash and weapons going south into Mexico, they have been extremely successful; and if anything merits additional resources, it's this program. I can't think of a better program to name after Jaime Zapata.

I will also say that on the several occasions that I have met with Agent Avila and his family, it has been very emotional to see someone who has come back almost from an operation of war, if you will, who has been shot at by the Los Zeta cartel members, almost going through a PTSD-type situation, a very, very emotional experience; and I wish Agent Avila and his family the best in their recovery. He is a very brave, brave man and soldier. And also to the family of Jaime Zapata, we honor you today with this bill and please know that you are always in our thoughts and in our prayers.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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