[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 30 (Tuesday, March 11, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E428]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          DECERTIFYING MEXICO

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 11, 1997

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert into the 
Congressional Record a letter to President Clinton from Grant Woods, 
attorney general from the State of Arizona; and Daniel E. Lungren, 
attorney general from the State of California. I call our colleagues' 
attention to the important message conveyed in this letter from two 
leaders on the frontlines in the struggle against illegal drugs.
  Their message is clear: United States law enforcement resources have 
been compromised by corruption among their counterparts in Mexico. They 
call upon this Congress to decertify Mexico.
  Mr. Speaker, in consultation with our colleagues, we will present 
legislation on Thursday that will decertify Mexico and send a 
bipartisan message to President Clinton and to the Mexican Government 
on steps that should be taken to stem the flow of drugs into the United 
States from Mexico.
  I commend our friends from California and Arizona and urge my 
colleagues to study the wise counsel conveyed in their letter.

                                                 State of Arizona,


                               Office of the Attorney General,

                                Washington, DC, February 27, 1997.
     Hon. Bill Clinton,
     Office of The President of the United States, The White 
         House, Washington, DC.
       Dear President Clinton: As the chief law and law 
     enforcement officers of our respective States, we are gravely 
     concerned with recent reports that our cooperative efforts 
     with law enforcement officials of the Republic of Mexico in 
     the fight against illegal drugs may have been seriously 
     compromised. This is intolerable. It threatens the integrity 
     of our own enforcement efforts in our respective States, 
     States which border Mexico and which are heavily impacted by 
     the devastating cross-border illegal drug trade. Frankly, we 
     are concerned about the consequences to state and national 
     drug enforcement personnel, programs, strategies, data, 
     equipment and criminal intelligence sources.
       Accordingly, we urge you to take the appropriate action 
     under sections 489 and 490 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
     1961 to decertify the Republic of Mexico as a country ``fully 
     cooperating'' with the United States to end drug production, 
     trafficking and related activities. While this step appears 
     to be drastic, we are unaware of any credible alternative 
     means of impressing upon the appropriate agencies of national 
     authority in Mexico the seriousness of these breaches of 
     security. We cannot continue to cooperate in sensitive 
     operations fighting drugs under these circumstances.
           Sincerely,
     Grant Woods,
       Attorney General, State of Arizona.
     Daniel E. Lungren,
       Attorney General, State of California.

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