U.S. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) spoke on March 2 in a hearing called “Taking Down the Cartels: Examining United States – Mexico Cooperation.” He stressed cooperation between the two nations in curbing drug trafficking across the border.
Congressman McCaul began by applauding the countries’ joint effort to take down Mexican drug lord El Chapo Guzmán.
“Just last month, the Pena Nieto Administration, in coordination with U.S. law enforcement, took down the biggest drug kingpin in the world,” McCaul said. “‘El Chapo’ Guzman was responsible for thousands of deaths, and for violence that stretches across the globe… Now we have an opportunity to examine the bilateral cooperation between our two nations that resulted in this progress, and how we can build upon these successes to further combat the cartels.”
Rep. McCaul continued, “Because of the threats to both the United States and Mexico stemming from organized crime, both of our nations share security objectives for our borders – keep threats out, but ensure the expeditious flow of commerce. Our respective law enforcement agencies have been working closely together to come to a common understanding of how to synchronize enforcement operations on each side of the border.”
McCaul thanked “all agencies involved in Guzman’s capture” and said he looks forward to building on cross-border cooperation.
Zack Taylor, Chairman of the National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers, told Breitbart Texas that McCaul’s statement was “all theater” that diverted attention away from the real issues facing the U.S.
“So what if they caught Chapo? Big deal,” Taylor said. “Someone else will just take his place. This is just something to talk about to divert the public’s attention away from the real issue, which is the U.S. drug market. The problem is the illegal aliens inside the country who are the suppliers to that market. Until we deal with this, nothing is going to happen.”
Taylor argued the U.S. needs to focus on securing our borders and eliminating illegal immigrants already in the U.S. He said these steps would help remove the criminal element currently embedded inside the country.
Taylor said, “We can start by taking away aliens’ incentives to be here, all benefits: medical, food stamps, public housing, education, everything. We need to start deporting foreign nationals when are released from jail–about 68,000 released alien criminals are in the country right now… Being an illegal alien is not a right to citizenship.”
During his speech, Rep. McCaul argued that illegal immigration in the U.S. can be lessened by helping Mexico secure its southern border.
“As Mexico’s economy improves, it is now seeing an increase in immigration from Central and South America,” McCaul said. “This will place a great burden on Mexico to better secure its southern border, and we are working through the Merida initiative to assist in not only technology applications, but operational planning and training to support President Peña Nieto’s goals as well as those of the United States.”
But Taylor said the US should not get involved in this initiative.
“Mexico’s southern border is Mexico’s problem,” he said. “We should not be telling other countries what they should do when we, ourselves, are not willing to do it. Let’s lead by example. McCaul is dealing with perceptions, not reality. But the press gets off on these sound bites. It’s meaningless rhetoric.”
“It’s time for the U.S to get serious about immigration, Taylor concluded. “By remaining silent on the actual causes and effects of illegal immigration in the U.S., McCaul is encouraging the problem to get worse.”
Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate
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