[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 29, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H539-H540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ALL IS NOT QUIET ON THE SOUTHERN FRONT
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Colombia, Afghanistan,
and Iraq have something in common. These are six nations, among several
others, where the State Department recommends that Americans don't
travel.
But today there was another advisory issued, but this one was not by
the State Department but by the State of Texas through the Texas
Department of Public Safety.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to read just a portion of this into the
Record. Here is what it says. Texas Department of Public Safety dated
today: ``Due to the increased rising level of violence in Mexico--which
is attributed to drug cartels, violent criminal organizations, and
increased presence of military personnel in some Mexican border
communities--it is recommended that persons be discouraged from
traveling to Mexican border towns, particularly those that have
recently been scenes of gang-related violent activity. These
communities include Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, Reynosa, Rio Bravo, Miguel
Aleman, and Ciudad Juarez.''
Mr. Speaker, you see, the Texas Department of Public Safety has
issued an advisory for Americans: don't go to these border towns
because of the violence. And the reason the violence has increased
specifically has to do with what happened in Rio Bravo which is across
the Rio Grande River from Texas. The Rio Bravo mayor last month was
gunned down while leaving a restaurant, along with two other
politicians. The Mexican Government sent in troops to help quell the
violence. But 5 days ago, local police in several Mexican border towns,
specifically Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Reynosa, were relieved of
their duties by the federal Government because of their alleged links
to drug cartels, specifically the gulf drug cartel.
What that means, Mr. Speaker, now on the Mexican border, bordering
Texas, there are 6,000 Mexican troops stationed there. They are
stationed from Matamoros to Miguel Aleman. Now, Matamoros is the border
town across from Brownsville, Texas. Brownsville is on the furthest
eastern tip of Texas. Brownsville is a big community, and across the
river is Matamoros. And Miguel Aleman is 100 miles upriver across the
river from Roma, Texas. There is violence in these border towns.
Many people don't understand what a border town is. A border town is
a town on the American border and has another town very similar to it
on the Mexican border. And both of these towns, being border towns,
border each other separated only by the border between Mexico and the
United States.
The State Department has already issued a travel alert for Mexico
because of the violence that occurs there. But now the State of Texas
finds a need to warn all citizens, especially law enforcement
officials, of the problems.
Mr. Speaker, the open-border crowd denies this violence occurs on our
southern front. I have been down to the Texas-Mexico border now 13
times, and I have talked to the local people who
[[Page H540]]
live there, and I have also talked to the chamber of commerce types who
say, Oh, there is no problem here in our border towns. There is no
violence or drugs. We don't have a problem with infiltration from drug
cartels and criminals coming into our cities. Of course they say those
things, in my opinion, because they want that open border for that
travel back and forth between Mexico and the United States because of
money, because of commerce, because of that greed that so many people
have; and they deny the fact that the border needs to be secure.
We live in denial sometimes that there is a border war that is
existing. It is a violent border war. It is a border war between drug
cartels and criminals, and many of those people don't just stay on the
Mexican side.
When Sheriff Rick Flores was here in Congress and testified before
Congress, he is the sheriff in Webb County, Texas, he said we are naive
to believe that the border problem only will be on the Mexican side. He
is the sheriff in Laredo. Across the river is Nuevo Laredo. That is
basically a ghost town now controlled by the drug cartels; and those
criminals, they will come to the American side as well.
Sigi Gonzales, the sheriff in Zapata County, he told me that the drug
cartels and the criminals, they have better equipment, they have more
equipment, they have better money, and they have more people involved
in doing what they want to do than we have in protecting the dignity of
the United States.
And to illustrate how violent it is on the border, Mr. Speaker, I
want to read you one more portion of this report: There currently
exists a U.S. Department of State travel alert for Mexico. Fort Bliss
officials announced Saturday that travel to Juarez has been declared
off limits for U.S. military.
In other words, Fort Bliss, the United States Army, they can go to
Iraq, they can go to Afghanistan, but they can't go to Juarez right
across the river because it is too dangerous.
Mr. Speaker, there is a border war taking place on the southern
border. All is not quiet on the southern border, and we need to
understand that this is a tremendous problem and our government needs
to get into action and protect Americans from this invasion.
And that's just the way it is.
Border Travel Advisory
summary
Due to the rising level of violence in Mexico--which is
attributed to drug cartels, violent criminal organizations,
and increased presence of military personnel in some Mexican
border communities--it is recommended that persons be
discouraged from traveling to Mexican border towns,
particularly those that have recently been scenes of gang-
related violent activity. These communities include Nuevo
Laredo, Matamoros, Reynosa, Rio Bravo, Miguel Aleman, and
Ciudad Juarez. The increased levels of violence in recent
weeks and potential for additional violence suggest that an
advisory against traveling to these communities is warranted.
details
On November 30, 2007, gunmen opened fire on the former
mayor of Rio Bravo--who was a two-term representative and
one-time senator--and his entourage as they left a restaurant
in Rio Bravo. The former mayor was killed along with two
other politicians and two federal agents. The Los Zetas, an
organized cell of the Gulf Cartel, had previously threatened
the former mayor's life and attempted a prior assassination,
prompting the government to assign bodyguards. In response to
the assassination, the Mexican government immediately
mobilized approximately 500 soldiers, federal police, and
support personnel in order to conduct counterdrug operations
in the state of Tamaulipas. The focus of the operation was on
the cities of Matamoros, Rio Bravo, and Miguel Aleman, just
south of Roma, Texas, and Reynosa, Mexico.
On Monday, January 7, 2008, members of the Mexico Federal
Preventive Police (PFP) were patrolling Colonia Cuauhtemoc in
Rio Bravo when they observed a 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
occupied by heavily armed men. The officers attempted a
traffic stop that resulted in shots being fired at the
officers from the Suburban. A gun battle ensued, and
additional officers and a contingent of the Mexican army
responded. Three gunmen were killed and ten others were
arrested, including three U.S. citizens, one of whom was from
Texas.
On January 23, 2008, local police in the border cities of
Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Reynosa, Mexico, were relieved
of their duties as army troops disarmed the officers and
searched for evidence that might show links to drug
traffickers. Eleven men were arrested by federal police in
Nuevo Laredo, including four police officers, who were said
to be operatives for the Gulf Cartel.
President Calderon has sent approximately 6,000 military
troops and federal police to areas that extend from
Matamoros--which is across the border from Brownsville,
Texas--westward to Miguel Aleman, which is across the border
from Roma, Texas. Mexican military and federal police
personnel have also been sent to the city of Juarez. A
similar operation was conducted last year in Tijuana when
violence erupted there, with more than 3,500 soldiers and
federal officers sent to the city.
Over the past weekend, a total of five people were either
shot or beaten to death in separate incidents in Juarez. This
comes on the heels of approximately 30 persons in Juarez
being murdered since the beginning of the year, including 17
law enforcement personnel, as well as the recent attempted
assassination of a Chihuahua State Police Commander Fernando
Lozano Sandoval. Commander Sandoval is currently hospitalized
in El Paso's Thomason Hospital under tight security. An
alleged ``hit list'' of Mexican law enforcement was also
discovered near Chihuahua state offices over the weekend.
There currently exists a U.S. Department of State travel
alert for Mexico with a date to expire of April 15, 2008.
Fort Bliss officials also announced Saturday that travel to
Juarez has been declared off-limits for U.S. military
personnel.
In addition to the travel advisory, law enforcement
officials should be aware of the possibility that violent
criminals and cartel members may seek to enter Texas in an
attempt to escape Mexican military and law enforcement
operations. As some persons seek refuge in Texas, their
enemies may plan to conduct raids or hits on them here. The
most significant violent criminals in the region are members
of the Gulf Cartel or their violent enforcers, Los Zetas.
analyst's comments
With the increased military and police presence in Mexican
border towns, and the recent violence associated with
shootouts between Mexican military and drug cartels, it is
advised that Texas residents avoid traveling to Mexican
border communities, particularly those that have recently
been scenes of violent gang-related activity. In addition,
there exists a possibility that Los Zetas and Cartel members
may cross the border into Texas. Tactical operations, such as
increased police patrols, should be initiated in high-profile
and high-visibility areas--such as points of entry and
between points of entry--to discourage cross-border
incursions. If any contact is made with suspected Los Zetas
or cartel members, an INT-7 form should be completed and
forwarded to the Texas Intelligence Center.
Law enforcement officials are encouraged to remain vigilant
and report any suspicious incidents to the Texas Intelligence
Center.
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