PREPARED REMARKS FOR

ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO R. GONZALES

AT THE

MEXICO-UNITED STATES JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13th, 2005

Good afternoon.

I am pleased to be here with my friend and counterpart, Attorney General Cabeza de Vaca. 

I have told the Attorney General privately, but I’d like to repeat it publicly, that the people of the United States - especially those whose lives have been shattered by the winds and waters of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - are deeply thankful for the assistance of the Government of Mexico.  As we travel the long road to recovery in the Gulf region, the kindnesses of our neighbors will not be forgotten.

Texas is my home…and Mexico is the homeland of my grandparents…so I am very interested in the quality of life for citizens on both sides of our shared border.

We all agree that narco-violence along the southwest border is impacting the lives of Mexicans and Americans, and robbing our families of the chance for a brighter future.

Combating these drug wars is a problem we must face together - with the combined experience and expertise of law enforcement agencies from Mexico and the United States.

We understand - as neighbors - that we are stronger when we work together.  We share more than a border.  We share a common desire for prosperity and safety…and a common commitment to peace and freedom.

Therefore, we must increase the level of cooperation and coordination between our Nations.

I am pleased to report that we’ve come to agreement on a number of important actions to help to decrease violence along the border.

Our challenges with narcotics trafficking and violence do not stop on one side of the border…and neither should our law enforcement efforts.  We will use every available legal authority to better coordinate our joint efforts to stop the violence.

Representatives from the federal and state law enforcement and criminal justice communities on both sides of the border met a month ago to explore new ways to join together in a coordinated attack against narco-violence on the border. 

Through their efforts, we will renew our commitment to share information and intelligence at both the federal and state level, especially when events occur on one side of the border that could have an impact on the other.  For example, the United States and Mexico will establish points of contact and a regular course of meetings to improve and expedite information sharing related to cross-border firearms trafficking.

We also will share equipment, training techniques, and technical assistance in a variety of investigative areas such as port security, forensics, prison security, cross-border currency control, and drug and firearms trafficking.  And we will work together to better protect officials, witnesses, and victims by sharing experiences from Victim and Witness Security Programs and the Crime Victim Fund.

        Day in and day out, law enforcement officers face an ongoing and ever-evolving threat from narcotics trafficking…and our citizens face an escalating level of violence.

        On our side of the border, the threat is particularly apparent in the border town of Laredo, Texas, which lies in a narcotics and firearms trafficking corridor between Mexico and the United States.

        The problems in Laredo highlight the problems we face together all along the border.  That is why I am pleased to announce, in addition to our agreements with the Government of Mexico, that the Justice Department is expanding the successful Violent Crime Impact Team - or VCIT - program to Laredo, Texas.  Today’s action will allow us to double our law enforcement presence in Laredo.

        These rapid-response teams, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, target hot-zones for violent activity and identify a community’s worst offenders.  They combine the resources of Federal, state, and local law enforcement - and, in this case, work with our international partners - to investigate and prosecute violent crimes.

We know this program works.  The Department has launched twenty Violent Crime Impact Teams in cities across the country, and the effects were felt right away from Baltimore to Richmond to Miami.

        The violence along our border continues, so it goes without saying that today’s agreements and announcements are just one element of our continuing commitment to find new ways to work together and new methods for curbing violence.

We are committed to improving security and the rule of law to make communities in the border area safer.  And, of course, we are doing so in a manner that preserves civil liberties and promotes commerce between our countries.

In addition to common heritage and common values, the people of our nations share the hope of a peaceful world and the desire to pursue the opportunities of freedom.

It’s those dreams that we are working to secure by exploring every opportunity for coordination and cooperation between Mexico and the United States.

I am pleased to be a part of this continuing commitment to our citizens - and to the cause of justice.

Thank you. 

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