Texas Rep. Michael McCaul Declares, ‘There Is A War On Our Nation’s Doorstep’

By on February 18, 2011 in News 26

Clockwise from left: Mexican President Felipe Calderón; Mexican security forces arresting cartel members; Mexican soldiers during a gun battle in Apatzingán; drugs seized from a cartel; drug lord Joaquín Guzmán Loera.

Following the killing of a US ICE agent in Mexico yesterday, supporters for border security say this is a “game changer” and call for offensive against Mexican drug cartels. Fox News reports:

Advocates for stronger border security on Wednesday called for stepping up the U.S. offensive to stop murderous drug cartels terrorizing Mexico after an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agent was killed a day earlier.

“This tragic event is a game changer. The United States will not tolerate acts of violence against its citizens or law enforcement and I believe we must respond forcefully.

This should be a long overdue wake-up call for the Obama administration that there is a war on our nation’s doorstep,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas.

McCaul’s comments came after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Holder announced they are establishing a joint task force to be led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to help Mexico track down and capture the perpetrators in the murder of ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata and wounding of another agent.

“This joint task force reflects our commitment to bring the investigatory and prosecutorial power of the U.S. government to bear as we work with the Mexican government to bring these criminals to justice,” Napolitano said.

Earlier in the day, President Obama offered his condolences to the parents of Zapata, who was murdered Tuesday when gunmen fired on the vehicle he was riding in with the second agent, who was shot in the arm and leg and is in the hospital in the United States….

(Image: Clockwise from left: Mexican President Felipe Calderón; Mexican security forces arresting cartel members; Mexican soldiers during a gun battle in Apatzingán; drugs seized from a cartel; drug lord Joaquín Guzmán Loera.)

For more information, see original article.

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  • Liam_McGonagle

    Yeah, fcuking geniuses, them Republicans.

    “Let’s destroy the Mexican economy by creating a “free” trade zone and then wonder why their society’s collapsing.”

    But of course, what else would you expect from the party who’s answer to our own deficit is to reduce revenues?

    Brilliance. Sheer brilliance.

  • Liam_McGonagle

    Yeah, fcuking geniuses, them Republicans.

    “Let’s destroy the Mexican economy by creating a “free” trade zone and then wonder why their society’s collapsing.”

    But of course, what else would you expect from the party who’s answer to our own deficit is to reduce revenues?

    Brilliance. Sheer brilliance.

  • Anonymous

    “This tragic event is a game changer.”

    Uh, the game changed when? Let’s see -they have guns -the agents have guns -people get shot and killed. Seems like the same old game to me.
    I guess its not a war unless some one declares it “official”. Then it will be your civic duty to kill the newest enemy -the Mexicans. Hell, we haven’t had a good war with Mexico in a while….

    ….for land of the freak and the home of the depraved.

  • GoodDoktorBad

    “This tragic event is a game changer.”

    Uh, the game changed when? Let’s see -they have guns -the agents have guns -people get shot and killed. Seems like the same old game to me.
    I guess its not a war unless some one declares it “official”. Then it will be your civic duty to kill the newest enemy -the Mexicans. Hell, we haven’t had a good war with Mexico in a while….

    ….for land of the freak and the home of the depraved.

  • Mrlypage

    De-criminalize/legalize ALL drugs and poof, there goes the money and violence and, oh wait, law enforcement and military-industrial complex jobs, too. Hmmm, maybe that explains this perpetual war on drugs??

  • Mrlypage

    De-criminalize/legalize ALL drugs and poof, there goes the money and violence and, oh wait, law enforcement and military-industrial complex jobs, too. Hmmm, maybe that explains this perpetual war on drugs??

    • Fiver

      While I agree that the War On Drugs is a blight on the wolrd, I don’t think that ending is the magic bullet to ending the violence in Mexico. Taking away the income of a man (or woman) whose living was made through violence and/or narcotics isn’t going to make them want to settle down and farmers, shoe salesmen, or nuclear engineers.

  • E.B. Wolf

    Why don’t they just gather a group of Mexican soldiers, train them in advanced military tactics, and send them after the cartels? That should solve the problem.

    • Hadrian999

      not unless you address the conditions that gave rise to the cartels in the first place

      • E.B. Wolf

        I know. I was being sarcastic.

    • Mad9nin

      They did it… and they became the “zetas”.

      • Ironaddict06

        Exactly. The Zetas were trained in military tactics, then became the muscle for the Gulf Cartel i believe, then decided to be the muscle and supplier.

      • E.B. Wolf

        Update your sarcasm detector.

  • E.B. Wolf

    Why don’t they just gather a group of Mexican soldiers, train them in advanced military tactics, and send them after the cartels? That should work out just fine.

  • Hadrian999

    not unless you address the conditions that gave rise to the cartels in the first place

  • Mad9nin

    They did it… and they became the “zetas”.

  • http://voxmagi-necessarywords.blogspot.com/ VoxMagi

    The guy was killed…and that was tragic…but he was killed in the line of duty while driving around, on duty, in Mexico…where they knew what he was, and what he was there for.

    If you swim in a shark tank while covered in bloody hunks of steak every day…it won’t end well. At least have the decency to not act shocked and surprised afterwards and blame the shark tank for being dangerous. The unconscionable part is that it seems like we as a country have been flinging people into this blender in the vague hope that this would happen…just so we could bitch about and appeal for a wartime footing later.

    Meanwhile, there are Canucks on snowmobiles delivering dope across the other giant porous border with far less risk of interruption…and no ones getting killed over it either. Of course…they also look like white guys and speak English…so they don’t qualify for our “brown people need to die” blue plate special.

    • Ironaddict06

      Right, and instead of these guys being ICE agents, they probably worked for the DEA. I read the article about the 2 agents. Here’s the kicker, the agents pulled over. The agents were between 2 SUV’s. Instead of trying to get the heck out of there, the agents tried the line “We are Americans” then the gun men shot them

    • Savagery

      Also, VoxMagi, if this country really wanted to greatly reduce drug related violence, we would not create demand on this side of the border. Decriminalize marijuana which is the bulk of the drugs coming into this country, and tax it, then maybe it would create a win-win situation. And the violence and killing would be greatly reduced. If this worked, then the other drugs could be dealt with on a yet to be determined method. It’s obvious the “drug war” was lost long ago.

  • http://voxmagi-necessarywords.blogspot.com/ VoxMagi

    The guy was killed…and that was tragic…but he was killed in the line of duty while driving around, on duty, in Mexico…where they knew what he was, and what he was there for.

    If you swim in a shark tank while covered in bloody hunks of steak every day…it won’t end well. At least have the decency to not act shocked and surprised afterwards and blame the shark tank for being dangerous. The unconscionable part is that it seems like we as a country have been flinging people into this blender in the vague hope that this would happen…just so we could bitch about and appeal for a wartime footing later.

    Meanwhile, there are Canucks on snowmobiles delivering dope across the other giant porous border with far less risk of interruption…and no ones getting killed over it either. Of course…they also look like white guys and speak English…so they don’t qualify for our “brown people need to die” blue plate special.

  • Ironaddict06

    Exactly. The Zetas were trained in military tactics, then became the muscle for the Gulf Cartel i believe, then decided to be the muscle and supplier.

  • Ironaddict06

    Right, and instead of these guys being ICE agents, they probably worked for the DEA. I read the article about the 2 agents. Here’s the kicker, the agents pulled over. The agents were between 2 SUV’s. Instead of trying to get the heck out of there, the agents tried the line “We are Americans” then the gun men shot them

  • Fiver

    While I agree that the War On Drugs is a blight on the wolrd, I don’t think that ending is the magic bullet to ending the violence in Mexico. Taking away the income of a man (or woman) whose living was made through violence and/or narcotics isn’t going to make them want to settle down and farmers, shoe salesmen, or nuclear engineers.

  • Savagery

    Also, VoxMagi, if this country really wanted to greatly reduce drug related violence, we would not create demand on this side of the border. Decriminalize marijuana which is the bulk of the drugs coming into this country, and tax it, then maybe it would create a win-win situation. And the violence and killing would be greatly reduced. If this worked, then the other drugs could be dealt with on a yet to be determined method. It’s obvious the “drug war” was lost long ago.

  • E.B. Wolf

    Update your sarcasm detector.

  • E.B. Wolf

    I know. I was being sarcastic.