Reyes: Take Out Mexican Cartel Heads; US Rep. Thinks Drone Missile Strikes Possible

U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, in an interview with El Paso Inc., said the U.S. needs to join Mexico?s fight against the drug cartels by dealing with them the same way it has with terrorists in Pakistan.

?We have to do what we?ve done essentially in Pakistan, and that is start taking out the heads of the cartels,? said Reyes, whose four-year tenure as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee ended in December.

That, he said, is what it will take to end the cartel drug wars that have caused 35,000 deaths and brought Jurez and other Mexican towns and cities to their knees since 2008.

Asked if he meant employing the kind of drone missile strikes that have been effective but hugely unpopular in Pakistan, Reyes told El Paso Inc., ?I wouldn?t rule that out.?

The congressman said he knows of no specific plans, but his comments are in line with the apparent direction of U.S. policy toward a more open involvement of U.S. law enforcement and military in Mexico.

Read the full El Paso Inc. article here.

Related Links:Video:Link:Los Angeles Times Mexico Drug War Special Project

El Paso Inc. and KVIA are media partners