Community | February 24, 2009 | 6 comments

Homeland Security official affirms Mexican drug cartel violence has spilled over into Texas

source: http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_11770847

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gooma2
AUSTIN -- Violence from Mexican drug cartels has spilled over into Texas, state Homeland Security Director Steve McCraw said Monday.

"Yes, absolutely it has occurred; there's no question about it," McCraw said after a hearing before the House Committee on Border and International Affairs.

McCraw answered lawmakers' questions about Gov. Rick Perry's request for another $135 million for border security operations on the same day Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott asked lawmakers for a new tool to help bring down transnational gangs that threaten border communities.

During the border committee meeting,

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state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, asked McCraw whether some incidents that have been reported in the El Paso area would be considered elements of spillover violence from Mexican drug cartels.
Moody asked, among other things, if threats against American citizens, individuals seeking treatment at U.S. hospital for injuries sustained in Juárez and Mexican nationals seeking asylum would be evidence of spillover.

McCraw said yes.

"Anything that involves cartel activity that impacts Texans on this side of the border is, by definition, spillover violence," he said after the meeting.

McCraw told lawmakers, though, that Texas has a contingency plan to deal with large-scale violence and that local, state and federal agencies are working to
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6 comments // Homeland Security official affirms Mexican drug cartel violence has spilled over into Texas

  • Presort1
    • 0
      Presort1  

    • So much for the so called war on drugs. It takes money to fight a war and the drug lord's have billion dollar bank accounts. Prohibition only gives the drug lord's more money.
      It's time to end prohibition.

    • 2 years ago
  • Ihatethemall
  • cerealforeal
    • 0
      cerealforeal  

    • Funny how U.S. federal bureaucracies and the government itself are always so behind with current events. Who do they get their news from? Nine month old Fox broadcasting? There's been tons of kidnappings here in Houston that I know of, and not to even mention the 370 kidnappings in Phoenix in 2008 alone. Let's not even talk about the battles going on in El Paso..

    • 2 years ago
  • samthesixth
  • Snuff99
  • SHAWN_RITTIMAN
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