Courtesy House Republican Conference
Chief Reynaldo Garza, Chief Patrol
Agent, Laredo, Texas
“The nexus
between our post September 11th mission and our traditional role is
clear, terrorists and violent criminals may exploit smuggling routes used by
migrants to enter the United States
illegally and do us harm.”
Reynaldo Garza has been
a border security agent at the Laredo
Border Patrol Sector for over 30 years and is currently the Chief Patrol Agent.
Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez, Zapata County, Texas
“The 2,000 miles of southwestern
border needs protection and immediate attention.”
“All
of us are concerned that the border with Mexico
is being used as the front door to this country and that terrorists are already
in our back yards.”
“At any
given time, daytime or nighttime, one can get on a boat and traverse back and
forth between Texas
and Mexico
and not get caught. If smugglers can bring in tons of marijuana and
cocaine at one time, and can smuggle 20-30 persons at one time, one can just
imagine how easy it would be to bring in 2-3 terrorists or their weapons of
mass destruction across the river and not be detected. Chances of apprehension
are very slim.”
“There
cannot be homeland security without border security. Our southwest border
needs immediate attention.”
Sheriff
Gonzalez has been in law enforcement for 30 years, 12 of those years as a
sheriff. He is the past chairman of the Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition.
Sheriff Rick Flores, Webb County, Texas
“Our southern border is ripe for a
terrorist pipeline.”
“So long
as smugglers get top dollar, they’ll turn a blind eye to any threat their cargo
– human or otherwise – might pose to the safety of Americans.”
“The
weakness of our southern border hasn’t escaped notice of the drug
cartels. We’ve seen military or semi-military incursions, threatening
firepower to protect their loads.”
Sheriff Flores has served as sheriff of Webb County
since January 2005. He has extensive law enforcement experience in a
variety of areas including the illegal drug trade.
Blas
Nuñez-Neto, Analyst, Congressional Research Services
“Appropriations for the Border
Patrol have grown steadily, from $1.06 billion in FY2000 to $1.74 billion in
FY2006–an increase of 64%. Accompanying the budget increase, Border Patrol
manpower has more than doubled over the past decade.”
Nunez-Neto has been an Analyst for
Domestic Security at the Congressional Research Service since July 2004.
Professor Kris W.
Kobach, University
of Missouri—Kansas City School of Law
“It is undeniable that terrorists
have entered the United States
by crossing our land borders illegally.”
“And since 9/11 we have increased
our security at ports of entry, which makes illegal border crossing an even
more attractive means of entry.”
“…there are statistics suggesting
that the number of terrorists crossing our southern border may be much higher
than we think. In Fiscal Year 2005, the Border Patrol apprehended 3,722 aliens
from nations that are either designated state sponsors of terrorism or places
in which Al Qaeda has operated.”
Professor Kobach holds degrees from Harvard University, Oxford University, and Yale Law School.
He is a professor of law at the University
of Missouri-Kansas City,
the author of two books and numerous articles, and a frequent legal commentator
on national news programs.
