Vela Seeks Answers From Assistant Secretary Bersin on the Department of Homeland Security's Response To Violence in Tamaulipas

Press Release

U.S. Representative Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, on Tuesday questioned Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary and Chief Diplomatic Officer, Alan Bersin, at a hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee. U.S. Rep. Vela serves as the senior Democratic Member on the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee, which convened the hearing on DHS operations outside the U.S. U.S. Rep. Vela's opening statement focused on violence in Matamoros and Reynosa in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

Below are U.S. Rep. Vela's remarks:

"Mrs. Miller (Chairman): At this time, the chair now recognizes a ranking member of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Vela.

"Mr. Vela: I'd like to thank Chairman Miller for holding today's hearing, examining the Homeland Security's international borders security program, and I' d like to file my written statement for the record. If you might, I know that-

"Mrs. Miller (Chairman): Without objection.

"Mr. Vela: I know that the focus of this hearing is international security programs around the country, but just here recently, if you might indulge me just for these five minutes to focus in on a small, one particular area, which happens to be my backyard because just this weekend, as I was in my district -- friends, neighbors came to me with stories of gun battles that occurred just last Friday, not within five miles of my district office.

"It was about two years ago that Mr. Bersin and I first met in my office and we discussed this issue, and for the last year and a half, I repeatedly had discussions and warned Administration officials about the degree of violence in Matamoros, Mexico, which is right at the border of Brownsville.

"More than 100,000 people have died in Mexico since 2006, and the most recent travel warning reads like this -- the most recent State Department travel warning from Mexico warns visitors from to the state of Tamaulipas, which includes Matamoros, Reynosa, and Nuevo Laredo, which are right across the border from the towns of Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo to defer all non-essential travel.

"Throughout the state, violent crime -- including homicide, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, extortion, and sexual assault -- pose significant safety risks existent in many parts of Tamaulipas.

"Violent conflicts between rival criminal elements and/or the Mexican military can occur in all parts of the region and at all times of the day. Violent criminal activity occurs more frequently along northern border.

"While no highway routes through Tamaulipas are considered safe, the highways between Matamoros-Ciudad Victoria, Reynosa-Ciudad Victoria, Ciudad Victoria-Tampico, Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros and Reynosa, and Monterrey and Reynosa, are more prone to criminal activity.

"Organized criminal groups sometimes target public and private passenger buses traveling through Tamaulipas. These groups sometimes take all passengers hostage and demand ransom payments. In Tamaulipas, U.S. Government employees are subject to movement restrictions and a curfew between midnight and 6 a.m. Matamoros, Reynosa, Nuevo Laredo, and Ciudad Victoria have experienced numerous gun battles and attacks with explosive devices in the past year.

"The number of reported kidnappings in Tamaulipas is among the highest in Mexico, and the number of U.S. citizens reported to the consulates in Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo as being kidnapped, abducted or disappearing involuntarily in 2014, has also increased.

"In February, the United States Consulate in Matamoros reported 227 separate security incidents in the U.S. border region, including of carjacking at a super market frequented by U.S. consulate employees. The 227 incidences represented only a fraction of actual criminal activity due to self-censorship by journalists.

"On Feb 2nd and Feb 5th, the U.S. Consulate general in Matamoros warned U.S. citizens of increased violence due to rolling gun battles between Los Ciclones and Los Metros factions. U.S. Consulate staff and their families were advised to restrict travel temporarily due to the violence. That month the U.S. state department warned consulate personnel to stay in-doors, to avoid the daytime convoys of cartel gunmen, some armed with grenade launchers.

"During that same week two of my constituents, both veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, went missing, and we've not heard or seen from them since.

"What I am hoping today is to get some sort of assessment of our diplomatic efforts to ensure that the Government of Mexico addresses the situation and also to get an assessment of what can we do from the standpoint of enhancing our capability of ensuring the safety of not just our homeland security employees in Mexico, but our Department of Justice employees and Department of state employees, and with that I yield back."

Bersin, testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, described steps being taken by the agency to help bring peace and security to Matamoros and the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

Bersin advised U.S. Rep. Vela he will continue to work with him to ensure that the issue remains high on the agency's agenda.

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