Drugs, murder, corruption, and silence: all problems shared by the United States and Mexico.  Mexico’s drugs fuel America’s addiction, Mexican cartel violence and corruption within the Mexican government thwart efforts to lessen the violence, and silence from our President leaves us wondering about the future. 

Mr. President, let’s talk about what’s happening, let’s discuss options, let’s finally give this serious situation the attention, thought, and action it has been demanding, more and more violently, for four long years.

Everyday devastating news pours in from Mexico about the latest wave of murders.  Previously tranquil and safe cities, such as Monterrey and Guadalajara, are now experiencing violence that was once isolated to the border region. Just this morning, two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were attacked in their vehicle in northern Mexico; one was seriously wounded and the other, Special Agent Jaime Zapata, was killed.  This attack came on the heel of the recent killing of three other Americans in northern Mexico, Hoosier Nancy Davis and two teenagers from El Paso.  In addition, in the last several weeks, a Mexican police chief was murdered when his vehicle was blown up; a group of eight teenagers and young adults were murdered in a drive-by shooting; and a fragmentation grenade was thrown into a crowded bar killing six people.

Although there are no known motives for any of these attacks or murders, the bulk of the violence occurring in Mexico comes from rival cartels fighting for territory and transportation routes into the United States.  They are motivated by the profits to be earned in the drug, and smuggling trade with the United States.  

The rule of law has left northern Mexico, and I fear the rot is spreading farther south day by day.  Mexican government or police officials who make a stand are being silenced and replaced with cartel selections. At the same time, violence is threatening to creep northward into the United States. 

Security and stability in the region are deteriorating rapidly and can no longer be considered solely a Mexican problem. The longer the United States remains silent and inactive the harder it will be to stop and reverse this trend. 

The first step is to secure our southern border.  According to a report released today by the General Accountability Office, the United States Border Patrol only has "operational control" of 44 percent of the southern border, and of that only 15 percent is air tight. That is simply unacceptable.  The Administration must do better. Now is the time for the President to stand up and make a statement, tell America how he will put more boots on the ground – including the National Guard – and how he will quickly finish building a physical barrier along the border.

Nearly 35,000 people have died next door and if we don’t want to see those kinds of deaths in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico we need to recognize the seriousness of this situation now.