U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, today questioned federal officials about ongoing efforts to combat increased border violence by Mexican drug trafficking organizations during a hearing of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. Udall, a member of the Caucus, told senior officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Department of State that he and his constituents are very concerned about violence spilling across the border into New Mexico. In March, Arizona rancher Robert Krentz was fatally shot while working on his land near the Mexican border. While the case remains under investigation, law enforcement tracked a suspect from the murder scene to the border. The local sheriff says there is evidence to suggest that the suspect was a scout for a smuggling organization. "We became very concerned when we saw the murder of a rancher on the Arizona border earlier this year," Udall said during the hearing. "That's caused a level of alarm across the state that was reflected during one of my recent visits to the White Sands Missile Range. While White Sands is a significant distance from the border, I heard from a member of the engineering battalion that will soon deploy to Afghanistan. He asked me if his family was going to be safe because of this activity." During the Caucus hearing, Udall also discussed legislation he supports to establish a grant program within the Department of Justice for law enforcement agencies to address drug-related criminal activity. The legislation, introduced by Bingaman and co-sponsored by Udall, would give award priority to law enforcement agencies located in counties 150 miles of the border...press release
"We became very concerned when we saw the murder of a rancher on the Arizona border earlier this year," Udall said during the hearing.
Senator, many New Mexicans have been concerned for years. Their homes have been invaded, their fences cut, property damaged or destroyed and they have feared for their family's safety. Glad to have you finally on board though.
...legislation he supports to establish a grant program within the Department of Justice for law enforcement agencies to address drug-related criminal activity. The legislation, introduced by Bingaman and co-sponsored by Udall, would give award priority to law enforcement agencies located in counties 150 miles of the border.
Implicit within this legislation is the idea that illegal immigration and drug trafficking are having a negative impact up to 150 miles from the border. That being the case, why do you support legislation creating thousands of acres of wilderness just a few miles from the border and thereby creating a safe haven for such traffickers? It also seems incongruous you would endorse a new grant program for border area law enforcement at the same time you are supporting legislation that would deny them and their federal counterparts the access they need to address the problem. Why assist on the one hand and obstruct on the other?
For years politicians have gotten away with throwing money at a problem and calling it good, even if they were supporting other programs with cross purposes. In this case, the pols are trying to maintain the support of the enviros by introducing wilderness legislation, while at the same time trying to "buy off" local officials with a new grant program. The new grant program will also give them something to point to, to show they really "care" about our safety.
This has worked in the past, but I think the electorate is catching on to your game and they ain't buying it.
None of this is to say Senator Udall doesn't care about our public safety here in southern NM. After all, see his recent press release:
Udall Encourages NM Residents to Not Talk and Text While Driving.
No comments:
Post a Comment