WASHINGTON, D.C. – Top law enforcement agents from Texas and Arizona testified before Congress that crime and violence directly linked to Mexican drug cartels is more prevalent than federal crime statistics or the Obama administration portray.  Their testimony was in sharp contrast to that of witnesses from the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice who said they agree with the administration’s assertion that the border has never been more secure.

“It’s interesting to see the difference of perspective from those who sit in Washington and those who reside near the border who experience first hand the threat of violence,” said Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), who chaired the hearing before the Homeland Security Oversight, Investigations & Management Subcommittee, at which the federal witnesses refused to testify alongside state officials.  The purpose of the hearing was to develop an accurate assessment of border security and determination of the level of cartel-related violence.

“We have incursions every day.  We have people that are afraid to go out on their property,” testified Chief Victor Rodriguez of the McAllen, TX Police Department.

“It’s not more secure than it’s ever been,” Zapata Co. Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzales, Jr. told the committee.  “It’s more violent.”

The bottom line is that it’s not secure,” testified Colonel Steve McCraw, Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety.  “There’s been a proliferation of organized crime in Texas.”  He said the increased number of seizures and arrests, as touted by the administration, “only prove that the border is not secure.”

The hearing comes one day after President Obama declared his administration has gone “above and beyond” Republican requests to secure the border.  His remarks came during a political speech in El Paso in which he urged passage of comprehensive immigration reform.

“This is reality and finally it’s getting reported,” Rep. McCaul said of the state law enforcement testimony.  “My goal is what can we do to help Mexico win this war and better secure our border.  The administration wants to say ‘we checked the box, now let’s move on’.”

Central to the issue is the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which the federal government uses to measure violence along the border.  The UCR does not include kidnappings, extortions, home invasions, smuggling or recruitment of children that are directly related to cartel violence.

“There’s no executive branch definition of spillover violence,” responded Amy Pope of the Department of Justice when asked whether cartel-on-cartel violence is counted.  

“That’s my point,” responded Chairman McCaul.  “I’m just trying to get to the truth here.  People are going to spin this thing politically both ways, but it seems to me that if you are going to record crime statistics, you ought to be recording the things that they do best.  They kill each other, they kidnap and extort, and yet all that is removed from the definition of spillover violence.  I don’t think we’re getting an accurate assessment here.”

“If you can’t reflect all of those factors, if you can’t reflect the manifestation of violence, that is not just at the border but ends up in our cities, reflected by the… gangs that are working directly for these cartels, then you have a false understanding of what our threat is,” testified McCraw.  “You’re kidding yourself.  You’re not going to secure the border through definitions.”