[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 151 (Thursday, November 29, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        JAMIE ZAPATA BORDER ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TASK FORCE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 27, 2012

  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to debate the 
Senate Amendment to H.R. 915, the ``Jamie Zapata Border Enforcement 
Security Task Force Act,'' which amends the Homeland Security Act of 
2002 to establish within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the 
Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST), which shall establish 
units to enhance border security by addressing and reducing border 
security threats and violence.
  More specifically, this Border Enforcement Security Task Force will 
achieve its goal of border security enhancement by (1) facilitating 
collaboration among federal, state, local, tribal, and foreign law 
enforcement agencies to execute coordinated activities in furtherance 
of border security and homeland security; and (2) enhancing 
information-sharing, including the dissemination of homeland security 
information among such agencies.
  As the Representative for the 18th Congressional District of Texas, I 
am deeply concerned about spill-over violence along the border between 
my state and Mexico. The recent increase in drug trafficking-related 
violence in Mexican cities, such as Juarez and Nuevo Laredo, is cause 
for concern, particularly in the neighboring U.S. cities of El Paso and 
Laredo, TX.
  In fact, in 2010, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a 
safety alert to law enforcement officers in the El Paso area warning 
that drug trafficking organizations and associated gangs may target 
U.S. law enforcement.
  The BEST program is currently administered by DHS, and involves 
information sharing and law-enforcement operations between personnel 
from federal, state, local, tribal, and foreign law-enforcement 
agencies to combat criminal activity near the United States borders.
  There are currently 34 BEST units.
  Since inception in June of 2005, these DHS-led task forces made 
10,024 criminal arrests; 6,541 administrative arrests; 5,802 
indictments; and 4,999 convictions.
  They seized over 88,500 pounds of cocaine; 870,748 pounds of 
marijuana; 4,669 pounds of methamphetamine; 4,383 pounds of ecstasy; 
1,404 pounds of heroin; 3,866 vehicles; 14,243 weapons; 2,920,155 
rounds of ammunition; and in excess of $111.8 million in U.S. currency 
and monetary instruments.
  Additionally, BEST units have initiated approximately 8,490 
investigations.
  Jamie Zapata was a Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent 
from Brownsville, Texas who was killed in the line of duty on February 
15, 2011 while serving on assignment in Mexico for United States 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
  This bipartisan bill, named in Jamie Zapata's honor, seeks to enhance 
our nation's abilities to deal with the dangerous activities occurring 
near our borders and, hopefully, prevent the tragic deaths of more of 
our agents. These are men and women who put their lives on the line in 
order to protect our country's interests.
  We know that this program works and has provided American citizens 
with improved border security and greater security throughout the 
United States.
  I urge my colleagues to support the ``Jamie Zapata Border Enforcement 
Security Task Force Act,'' which will ensure that our agents tasked 
with securing our border, who work under extremely perilous 
circumstances, are better protected through enhanced information 
sharing and greater collaboration between agencies.

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