Monday, October 29, 2007

Mexico’s Security Efforts Deserve Strong Support

Statement by Ambassador Antonio O. Garza

Mexico City, October 22, 2007- “Early this morning President Bush spoke to President Calderon and shared with him that he was moving forward on a Congressional request for $500 million as part of a $1.4 billion program to fund security cooperation with Mexico. Several minutes ago President Bush made public that intention. The President also requested $50 million to confront the same narco-trafficking dangers in Central America. This initiative, born out of the meetings between President Bush and President Calderon in Merida, represents a fundamental shift in strengthening our strategic partnership and is the single most aggressive undertaking ever to combat Mexican drug cartels and the associated violence they pose to citizens in both the U.S. and Mexico.

“Our across-the-board geographic, economic and demographic links to Mexico and the region make clear our compelling national security interest to reduce the threats crime and violence have on our societies. This new framework will help to create a safer and more secure hemisphere where criminal organizations no longer threaten regional security and populations. It will also prevent the entry and spread of illicit drugs and transnational and terrorist threats throughout the region.

“During my four and a half years as U.S. Ambassador, I have watched as violence related to narco-trafficking has rapidly spread in Mexico, which has become both a consumer country and the primary transit route for illegal drugs entering the U.S. Organized criminals have brazenly assassinated Mexican police and senior government officials, and thousands of civilians have been caught in the crossfire. Last year, over 2,000 drug-related murders took place; more than 2,000 have been reported so far this year. This challenge affects us just as dramatically, as untold thousands have died or had their lives ruined by the corrosive impact of the drugs that Mexican cartels smuggle into the U.S.

“I’ve also watched Mexico become a central partner in our own efforts to combat drug trafficking, pre-empt terrorism, and confront other trans-border threats. Since entering office last December, President Calderon has taken a courageous stand against the transnational criminals currently threatening Mexico and his government’s willingness to work in tandem with the U.S. represents an historic opportunity to solidify Mexico’s place as our full, prosperous, democratic North America partner. President Calderon’s government has demonstrated an impressive commitment to improve public security, launched aggressive anti-drug operations into ten states, increased pay for military and federal law enforcement agents, and worked to make those institutions more transparent and effective. Notwithstanding Mexico’s clampdown on narco-violence, it is spreading to states not traditionally affected and has taken its toll with high-profile killings of law enforcement officers on the rise.

“In spite of the risks involved, Mexico has strengthened law enforcement cooperation with us by extraditing 73 of Mexico’s hardest criminals to the U.S. for prosecution, including the leader of the Gulf Cartel, seizing increasing amounts of drugs and dirty money, and has taken a leadership role in creating a regional strategy to improve transnational interdictions. Mexico’s significant efforts, and the important work we are already doing together should be applauded, however, we need to do more and now is the time to do it.

“The most important action we can take is to partner with President Calderon in his government’s struggle against spiraling violence. In addition to exploring ways to improve our economic ties, diminish regional poverty, and enhance border security, we also need to substantially reduce U.S. drug demand and improve controls on arms, cash, and precursor chemicals smuggled into Mexico. Recently, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy announced that the aggressive crackdown on drug trafficking and related violence by the Government of Mexico, in coordination with the U.S., has led to a substantial decline in the availability of cocaine and the consequent rise in prices in the U.S. This clearly illustrates how cooperative U.S.-Mexico efforts are working.

“Mexicans understand the stakes and realize that security is every bit as much a priority for them as it is for us. Today’s Mexico represents a new democratic system in which the different branches of government, leading political parties, and members of Mexican civil society have rallied behind what has become an extraordinary campaign against violence and lawlessness. Mexicans have no illusions about the severity of the problem before them, which is why a sizable majority support President Calderon’s campaign against organized crime.

“This initiative is about enhancing the safety and security of all our peoples through greater cooperation. It will provide Mexico, and Central America, with additional tools, training and techniques to turn the page on organized crime and transnational threats. Although goals may be similar, operationally this initiative is distinctly different from previous regional efforts. This program is truly a partnership focused on shared responsibilities and reciprocal efforts to combat against the traffickers that supply the drugs in Mexico and also against the demand in the U.S., by taking additional and more aggressive and coordinated actions in each of our own countries.

“President Bush has taken the first step by requesting funding directed specifically towards security cooperation with Mexico and Central America. The U.S. Congress will now need to act on this crucial security proposal. We have the opportunity and the responsibility to stand together with our neighbors and demonstrate our strong commitment to break the backs of the drug cartels, disrupt the flow of narcotics and related cash that endangers our shared borders, and free our respective societies from drug-related violence.”

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More about President Bush’s announcement

This initiative would support coordinated strategies to:

·         Produce a safer and more secure hemisphere where criminal organizations no longer are destabilizing governments and threatening national and regional security; and

·         Prevent the entry and spread of illicit drugs and transnational threats throughout the region and to the United States.

To achieve these goals, President Bush is requesting funding to provide:

·         upgrades to programs undertaken by our partners’ security agencies in the surveillance of their territory and quick response of security forces in counternarcotics operations by providing greater mobility

·         equipment and assets to support counterpart security agencies inspecting and interdicting drugs, trafficked goods, people and other contraband

·         computer technology to strengthen host countries’ coordination of security forces and information sharing with the United States

·         technologies to enhance our partners’ capacity to collect actionable intelligence for law enforcement purposes
n training to support Mexico and Central America’s commitment to streamline and professionalize their law enforcement organizations

·         capacity building measures and training to complement actions undertaken by regional governments to reform judicial processes, respond to citizens’ concerns and strengthen prison management

·         support for Mexican NGOs and agencies working to reduce the rising level of drug usage in Mexico

·         equipment, training and community action programs in Central American countries to implement anti-gang measures and expand the reach of these measures in the region.

Presidents’ Support for Regional Strategy:

“The United States is committed to this joint strategy to deal with a joint problem. I would not be committed to dealing with this if I wasn’t convinced that President Calderón had the will and the desire to protect his people from narco-traffickers. He has shown great leadership and great strength of character, which gives me good confidence that the plan we’ll develop will be effective.” President George W. Bush, August 21, 2007 Montebello

“Drug trafficking and violence that's associated to drug trafficking, which is particularly evidenced on the border between the U.S. and Mexico, cannot be dealt with in an isolated way….It requires a variety, multiplicity of actions carried out by society, by governments; in other words, enforcement activities against criminals, preventive activities, protective activities, prevention and treatment of addictions with the young.” President Felipe Calderón, August 21, 2007 Montebello

“Our countries are working together to fight transnational gangs. And the President (Berger) was right – I suggested we think about this issue regionally. You’ve got to understand that these gangs are able to move throughout Central America and up through Mexico into our own country, and therefore, we’ve got to think regionally and act regionally.” President Bush, March 12, 2007 Guatemala City

Drug Demand Reduction:

The United States has done more than any other industrialized nation to reduce illegal drug use among its population. Through a broad array of efforts, it has succeeded in reducing cocaine use among 18-25 year olds by nearly 60% since its peak in 1979, and overall youth drug use has fallen by 23.2% since President Bush announced his National Drug Control Strategy in 2002. The President’s FY2008 budget dedicates $4.6 billion to an array of new prevention and treatment initiatives.

The National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy:

United States federal agencies along the Southwest border are coordinating their efforts to implement 68 objectives under this new strategy in the following areas: intelligence collection and information sharing, interdiction at and between ports of entry, aerial surveillance and interdiction of smuggling aircraft, investigations and prosecutions and countering financial crime. It is estimated that U.S. is spending $1.9 billion to implement this strategy. On October 2, 2007 John Walters, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy said that this balanced strategy will serve as an effective response against violent drug trafficking organizations that work to undermine democracy and rule of law.

Reduction in Trafficking in Arms:

In 2005, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms launched its Southwest Border Initiative to attack the firearms-trafficking infrastructure of criminal organizations working across the border. New programs to share tracing capabilities with the Mexicans, close off trafficking corridors, expand actionable, real-time intelligence cooperation and aggressively pursue prosecution have resulted in marked increases in interdictions and arrests of individuals seeking to move firearms across the border.

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(Press bulletin, Embassy of the United States, Mexico City, Mexico)