Aid Package For Mexico Meant To Help Combat Drug Cartels

EL PASO, TX – Congressman Sylvestre Reyesis in favor ofa new plan to fight drug traffickers that will cost over $1.2-billion dollars over the next three years.

Known as “Plan Mexico,” the new measure would be aimed at curbing escalating drug violence along the border with Mexico. The majority of the funding will come from taxpayer money and will enable the Mexican government to bolster it’s telecommunications capability and it’s ability to monitor airspace to fight the Mexican drug cartels more efficiently.

Reyes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, recently told the Dallas Morning News that the U.S. government has two choices: either provide a hefty increase in counter-narcotics aid to Mexico or run the risk of Nuevo Laredo-type violence spreading to the rest of the border communities.

Nuevo Laredo has recently become a battleground between several drug cartels seeking control of drug-trafficking routes to smuggle narcotics into the U.S. Some of the violence has spread to Laredo, Texas on the American side of the border.

In a statement issued through his office, Reyes stated it is in the best interest of the U.S. to cooperate with Mexico. The negative influence of the drug cartels along border communities presents a big challenge for both governments, he said.

Reaction by El Pasoans to the use of taxpayer money to help Mexico has been mixed.

“I think we should just worry about keeping money on this side of the border instead of funding other countries and their problems,” stated one El Paso resident.

“I’m sure it will help, we need it … It’s getting out of hand, you can see it by what you read and what you see,” stated another resident.

President Bush met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon Monday in Quebec. Tuesday, both presidents will discuss the billion-dollar aid package and the best way to use the funds.