State of the State

Our beloved State of Texas was founded in 1836 and since then, its people have remained a proud and unique people. Throughout our long history, Mexico has been both friend and foe and sometimes both at the same time. Many Texas musicians wrote songs of border towns and enjoying the Mexican lifestyle it provided. Today Mexico is again at the forefront of Texas politics. Issues such as illegal immigration and taking Texan’s jobs were the first to emerge. Today we see the same issues on the Texas table, now accentuated with violence. Did this violence spring up overnight, or have we simply allowed the issues to continue until we “have” to deal with them?

The Main Cartels
1. The Sinaloa Cartel
2. The Juárez Cartel
3. The Gulf Cartel
4. The Los Zetas


In the recent years Mexican and Central American drug cartels, armed to the teeth, have brought havoc to Trans-Texas border towns. They posses nearly as much fire power as the Mexican military. The Los Zetas have threatened parents they would kill their children if a bribe of 5000 pesos was not turned over to them. Children in these border towns have to turn their heads from the violence nearly every day. They see their friends, their family, and sometimes themselves in the midst of a dangerous situation usually resulting death. An Arizona rancher was killed by suspected illegal immigrants while out in his field. Authorities found foot prints leading back to the border. Several times the drug cartels will dress up like Mexican military or police forces to achieve their illegal goals. American reporters have had their lives threatened if they report on these issues. A Border Patrol agent was recently severely assaulted by a group of illegal immigrants. Reported today, April 11, 2010, drug cartels are using IED’s or improvised explosive devises similar to those used by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan to attack American Consulates in Mexico. Keep in mind this is within a few miles of our own border with Mexico.

So, what happens now? Surely our national government would help, because they see that this will only spread further north, right?! No, simply and plainly. Does this mean Texas and other border states are going to have to deal with the issues alone? If so, what does this mean for our state? How will we as a state, protect ourselves from this violence emerging from the border? U.S. Representative Ciro Rodriguez asked Governor Rick Perry for $15 million on top of the already $60 million in homeland security funds being spent for this purpose. Governor Perry also can activate the Texas National Guard if he so chooses, but has not done s at this point. It is my belief that if this violence does not stop by way of military force, the violence will only continue. These cartels are armed with weapons such as military assault rifles, grenades, and now IED’s. Law Enforcement in its present state is not equipped to fight a threat of this magnitude, leaving the cartels to take over wherever they want, and leaving many American and Mexican bodies in their wake. It is time for Texas to accelerate a military response directly to the border and eliminate this threat. Without it, we may all soon be a third world country.