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• Global Metropolitan Policing: An Emerging Trend in Intelligence Sharing

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  "Terrorism has local and global dimensions. Local police are best positioned to understand their communities and local threat environment. Yet transnational terrorist and criminal enterprises link in interactive networks. In response, local police agencies are cooperating with their counterparts at national and foreign agencies to understand and counter these criminal and terrorist organizations. Global metropolitan policing is the term used to describe this emerging trend in police cooperation in sharing intelligence and best practices. This article explores the developments that lead urban police departments to interact with foreign law enforcement, intelligence, and diplomatic agencies, as well as private sector and non-governmental organizations. It describes why and how police agencies are forging global links to counter terrorism, transnational gangs, and organized crime."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security

  Wirtz, James J., 1958-; Sullivan, John P.

  2009-05
• Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [Updated May 1, 2009]

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  "The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Since 1994, trade between the countries has more than quadrupled. Bilateral relations are close, and characterized by extensive commercial and cultural ties and cooperation on a range of bilateral and international issues. A current trade dispute with the United States involves the implementation of NAFTA trucking provisions. In March 2009, Congress terminated a pilot-project for Mexican-registered trucks to operate beyond the 25-mile border commercial zone with the United States, and Mexico responded by imposing import tariffs on over 90 U.S. agricultural and industrial products. Drug trafficking issues are prominent in relations since Mexico is the leading transit country for cocaine, a leading supplier of methamphetamine and heroin, and the leading foreign supplier of marijuana. Shortly after taking office in December 2006, President Felipe Calderón launched operations against Mexican drug trafficking organizations. […]. U.S.-Mexican cooperation on drug trafficking has intensified over the past several years, and both countries announced the Mérida Initiative in October 2007 to combat drug trafficking, gangs, and organized crime in Mexico and Central America. […]. The 111th Congress is maintaining an active interest in Mexico with myriad counternarcotics, border, and trade issues dominating the agenda. To date, there have already been a dozen hearings dealing with the increased violence in Mexico as well as U.S. foreign assistance and border security efforts. Comprehensive immigration reform efforts once again could be considered in the 111th Congress."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.

  2009-05-01
• State and Nonstate Associated Gangs: Credible 'Midwives of New Social Orders'

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  "This monograph introduces a misunderstood aspect of 'wars among the people.' The author addresses the interesting subject of the multifaceted nature and predominant role of gangs operating as state and nonstate proxies in the modern unbalanced global security environment. In every phase of the process of compelling radical political change, agitator-gangs and popular militias play significant roles in helping their political patrons prepare to take control of a targeted political-social entity. As a result, gangs (bandas criminales or whatever they may be called) are important components of a highly complex political-psychological-military act--contemporary irregular asymmetrical political war. In these terms, this monograph is relevant to modern political discussions regarding 'new' socialism, populism and neopopulism, and hegemonic state and nonstate challenges to stronger opponents. More specifically, this monograph examines examples of contemporary populism and neopopulism, 21st century socialism, and a nonstate actor (al-Qaeda) seeking regional and global hegemony. They are: first, paramilitary gang permutations in Colombia that are contributing significantly to the erosion of the Colombian state and its democratic institutions, and implementing the anti-system objectives of their elite neo-populist sponsors; second, Hugo Chavez's use of the New Socialism and popular militias to facilitate his populist Bolivarian dream of creating a mega-state in Latin America; and, third, al-Qaeda's strategic and hegemonic use of political-criminal gangs to coerce substantive change in Spanish and other Western European foreign and defense policy and governance."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Manwaring, Max G.

  2009-05
• Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [April 14, 2009]

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  "The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Since 1994, trade between the countries has more than quadrupled. Bilateral relations are close, and characterized by extensive commercial and cultural ties and cooperation on a range of bilateral and international issues. A current trade dispute with the United States involves the implementation of NAFTA trucking provisions. In March 2009, Congress terminated a pilot-project for Mexican-registered trucks to operate beyond the 25-mile border commercial zone with the United States, and Mexico responded by imposing import tariffs on over 90 U.S. agricultural and industrial products. Drug trafficking issues are prominent in relations since Mexico is the leading transit country for cocaine, a leading supplier of methamphetamine and heroin, and the leading foreign supplier of marijuana. Shortly after taking office in December 2006, President Felipe Calderón launched operations against Mexican drug trafficking organizations. […]. U.S.-Mexican cooperation on drug trafficking has intensified over the past several years, and both countries announced the Mérida Initiative in October 2007 to combat drug trafficking, gangs, and organized crime in Mexico and Central America. […]. The 111th Congress is maintaining an active interest in Mexico with myriad counternarcotics, border, and trade issues dominating the agenda. To date, there have already been a dozen hearings dealing with the increased violence in Mexico as well as U.S. foreign assistance and border security efforts. Comprehensive immigration reform efforts once again could be considered in the 111th Congress."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.

  2009-04-14
• Highlights of the 2007 National Youth Gang Survey

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  This fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention discusses the findings from the 2007 National Youth Gang Survey. "Following a marked decline from the mid 1990s to the early 2000s, a steady resurgence of gang problems has occurred in recent years. More than one third of the jurisdictions in the National Youth Gang Survey (NYGS) study population experienced gang problems in 2007, the highest annual estimate since before 2000. Within the four area types surveyed, 86 percent of law enforcement agencies that serve larger cities, 50 percent of agencies that serve suburban counties, 35 percent of agencies that serve smaller cities, and 15 percent of agencies that serve rural counties reported experiencing youth gang problems in 2007."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  2009-04
• Gangs and Transnational Criminals Threaten Central American Stability

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  From the thesis abstract: "The recent expansion of gangs and transnational crime poses a significant threat to Central American stability. Central American nations generally lack the infrastructure to capture and prosecute these gang members; therefore, they continue to breed instability within the region and have exported their criminal activity in remarkable fashion. This Central American instability negatively impacts U.S. national security interests abroad and is detrimental to U.S. domestic security. This paper will explore and research the depth of this problem and its impacts on U.S. national security. It will also provide critical analysis and recommend courses of action for U.S. policy options, to include a key element for success: regional cooperation to interdict the expansion of Central American gangs and transnational criminal organizations in concert with our Central American neighbors."

  Army War College (U.S.)

  Gray, Howard L.

  2009-03-10
• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Annual Report 2008: How OJJDP is Serving Children, Families and Communities

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  "The 2008 Annual Report highlights the important work carried out by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP's) dedicated men and women in partnership with States, localities, and talented individuals across our country. We have developed many effective tools and strategies to address juvenile delinquency--from the highly functioning Council to the SMART geospatial mapping tool, a Web-accessible application that communities can use to position local resources to help prevent crime and delinquency. OJJDP also has created the Model Programs Guide, which provides proven strategies for addressing a range of juvenile justice issues. These and other resources described throughout this Report will provide strong support for OJJDP's ongoing mission and new initiatives in FY 2009 and beyond. This Report describes the important work of faith-based and small community organizations on everything from mentoring youth in detention to helping gang-involved youth. Their work demonstrates the power we can harness from people who live and work in the communities where the needs are greatest. We need every hand at the tasks before us, and this work demonstrates that these partners can provide invaluable assistance, which should be continued in the years to come."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  2009-03
• How is MS-13 a Threat to US National Security?

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  From the thesis introduction: "This paper will look at the international threat from MS-13 by examining the gang's history and identifying the characteristics that make MS-13 an international problem. The paper will then identify immediate and developing areas of concern and recommend how the US should mitigate the resulting threats."

  Air University (U.S.). Air War College

  Riney, Thomas J.

  2009-02-12
• EMR-ISAC: InfoGram 5-09 [February 5, 2009]

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  This document from the Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center is "distributed weekly to provide members of the Emergency Services Sector with information concerning the protection of their critical infrastructures." This edition includes sections about "avoiding cyber attacks," the 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment, grant opportunities, and the Chemical Transportation Emergency Center.

  Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)

  2009-02-05
• Merida Initiative for Mexico and Central America: Funding and Policy Issues [January 13, 2009]

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  "Increasing violence perpetrated by drug trafficking organizations, gangs, and other criminal groups is threatening citizen security in Mexico and Central America. Drug-related violence claimed more than 5,300 lives in Mexico in 2008, and several Central American countries have some of the highest homicide rates in the world. Mexican drug cartels dominate the illicit drug market in most regions of the United States and are expanding their operations by forming partnerships with U.S. gangs. As a result, some of the drug-related violence in Mexico has begun to spillover into the United States. On October 22, 2007, the United States and Mexico announced the Mérida Initiative, a multi-year proposal for $1.4 billion in U.S. assistance to Mexico and Central America aimed at combating drug trafficking and organized crime. The Administration requested $500 million for Mexico and $50 million for Central America in FY2008 supplemental appropriations, and another $450 million for Mexico and $100 million for Central America in the FY2009 budget request. While the Bush Administration did not request any additional funding for domestic programs to complement the Mérida Initiative, U.S. officials pledged to step up efforts to prevent arms, precursor chemicals, and bulk cash flows from the United States into Mexico, and to reduce U.S. drug demand. [...]This report provides an overview of the funding provided for the Mérida Initiative and a discussion of some policy issues that Congress may consider as it oversees implementation of the Initiative. For related information, see CRS Report RL32724, Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress, by Mark P. Sullivan and June S. Beittel. This report will be updated."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Seelke, Clare Ribando

  2009-01-13
• Guatemala at a Crossroads, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, First Session, June 9, 2009

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  This is testimony from the June 9, 2009, hearing entitled "Guatemala at a Crossroads," held by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. From the opening statement of Eliot L. Engel : "Recent media attention on Latin America has focused overwhelmingly on President Calderon's battle against Mexico's drug cartels. Meanwhile, Mexican cartels have moved more aggressively than ever into Guatemala, a country with weaker institutions than its neighbor to the north. […]. Drug-related violence in Guatemala unfortunately complicates an already difficult situation. Guatemala has a long history of violence, and one of the highest murder rates in Latin America. In a report to the Guatemalan Congress, the country's Human Rights Ombudsman noted that 2008 was the 'bloodiest year of our history' with 6,292 homicide victims. Illegally armed groups, drug cartels and youth gangs are contributing to spiraling violence. […]. It's time to say 'enough is enough.'" Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Eduardo Stein Barillas, Anita Isaacs, Mark Schneider, Stephen Johnson, Eliot L. Engel and Dan Burton.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2009
• Strengthening School Safety through Prevention of Bullying, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities and the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education of the Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress First Session, July 8, 2009

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  From the opening statement of Carolyn McCarthy: "I came to Congress as a result of violence, and I have worked for years to try to reduce violence in our schools and in our country. Throughout this hearing we will explore the different areas of concern we have related to school safety and ideas on how to address them. [...] Violence and bullying prevention is necessary to a successful academic career. We need to take these threats seriously and we must act on them to prevent further tragedies." Information on gang-related violence is also included in this hearing. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Michael N. Castle, Jon C. Marshall, Joseph W. Mazzola, Sanford N. McDonnell, Ruben Hinojosa, Dale E. Kildee, Carolyn McCarthy, American Association of University Women, American Psychological Association, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund, Jennifer Chrisler, Meredith Fenton, Stephanie Stines, Joan Cole Duffell, Eliza Byard, Girl Scouts of the USA, Joe Solmonese, Kate Kendell, Jody Huckaby, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Luis Sierra, Randi Weingarten, Todd Russell, Linda T. Sanchez, Jacquelyn Andrews, Josie Andrews, Rona C. Kaufmann, Scott Poland, Steve Riach, Cassady Tetsworth, Kenneth S. Trump, and Sirdeaner Walker."

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2009
• Youth Violence: Trends, Myths, and Solutions, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, First Session, February 11, 2009

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  From the opening statement of Robert C. ''Bobby'' Scott:: "This hearing is a continuation of a series of hearings we began in the 110th Congress on what we need to do to effectively reduce youth crime and violence and gang membership. What we have found, as you will hear from our distinguished panel of witnesses today, is that the evidence is overwhelming that properly targeted, evidence-based crime prevention and intervention programs for at risk youths will greatly reduce crime and save much more money than they cost and avoid criminal justice and social welfare expenditures that otherwise would be spent. One of the most comprehensive studies on the effectiveness of proper targeting of scientifically proven prevention and intervention programs for at-risk youths was conducted in the State of Pennsylvania. The State invested $60 million to conduct programs in 100 communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas and identified comparable areas without the programs in order to scientifically assess the results. The study revealed that crime and negative social incidents went down substantially in the test communities compared to the comparable communities and that the average costs and losses from crime and social welfare programs were reduced by an average of $5 for every dollar spent on prevention and intervention programs." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Robert C. ''Bobby'' Scott, Louie Gohmert, Dorothy Johnson-Speight, Barry Krisberg, Steve Trubow, Irving Bradley, Jr., Robert L. Woodson, and Beverly Coleman-Miller.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2009
• OJJDP Strategic Planning Tool

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  The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's [OJJDP] "Strategic Planning Tool (SPT) is an electronic tool to assist communities in assessing their gang problems and planning strategies to deal with those problems. The tool has four interrelated components that include risk factors, planning for implementation, program matrix, and the community resource inventory. The first three components provide users with a broad array of knowledge about gang behavior, strategies, best practices, and research-based programs. The fourth component, the community resource inventory, is a database that allows users to capture and categorize local resource information for local action."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  2009
• Global Highlights: December 2009

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  "This issue of Global Highlights focuses on the recent meeting of the Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council (CICC) and the Global Intelligence Working Group (GIWG) and their efforts to continue toward enhanced intelligence information sharing. Members focused their talents on issues that included gang-related data exchange, privacy protections and associated training, and outreach."

  United States. Department of Justice

  2009
• Addressing Gangs: What's Effective? What's Not? Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Second Session, June 10, 2008

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  From the opening statement of Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, "I am concerned that policies, such as expanding the definition of 'gang' and expanding big gang databases, would only exacerbate this problem, with no impact on reducing crime. Without appropriate intervention, these children will be on what the Children's Defense Funds has described as a cradle-to-prison pipeline where many minority children are born on a trajectory to prison. When we realize that it is possible to get them on a cradle-to-college pipeline, it is tragic and much more costly to society in the long run, if we do not do so. Research and analysis as well as common sense tell us that no matter how tough the law on the people you prosecute today, unless you are addressing the underlying reasons for crime, nothing will change. The next crime wave will simply replace the ones you have taken out, and the crime continues. So the get-tough approach has little impact on crime." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, Louie Gohmert, John Conyers, Jr., Lamar Smith, Charles Ogletree, Jr., Frank Straub, John Buckovich, Ely Flores, Kevin O'Connor, and Robert D. Macy.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2009
• Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hearing Before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, First Session, March 25, 2009

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  From the opening statement of Patrick J. Leahy: "Today, we welcome back to the Committee Director Mueller of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, no stranger to this Committee. It is now 6 months since our last FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] oversight hearing, and we will soon hold an oversight hearing with Secretary Napolitano, and then with Attorney General Holder, who had his confirmation hearing before us 2 months ago. So we will talk about the effectiveness of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in carrying out its critical missions to keep us secure while upholding the rule of law. [...] Now, during this hearing we will discuss, as we always do, the good and the bad: how the FBI worked to clear the backlog in name checks for immigration and voting purposes; how the FBI has improved its crime lab testing; but also which problems remain; and the expiring provisions of the PATRIOT Act. In the area of violent crime [including gangs], there are disturbing signs that crime rates may increase significantly in response to the financial crisis, and we will talk about that." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Patrick J. Leahy, Arlen Specter, Robert S. Mueller, III, M. Faith Burton, Patrick Dugan, Charles E. Grassley, and Vincent G. Heintz.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2009
• 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment

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  "This intelligence assessment is a collaborative effort between the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) and the NDIC to examine the threat posed to the United States by criminal gangs; it supports U.S. Department of Justice strategic objectives 2.2 (to reduce the threat, incidence, and prevalence of violent crime) and 2.4 (to reduce the threat, trafficking, use, and related violence of illegal drugs). The assessment is based on federal, state, and local law enforcement information and is supplemented by information retrieved from open sources. Information and data used for this report were collected through September 2008. This assessment discusses the proliferation of gangs from urban areas to suburban and rural locations, estimates of the number of gangs and gang members in the United States, gang types, gang-related criminal activities, locations where specific gangs operate, and the relationships between gangs and other criminal organizations. Regional summaries highlighting the most significant gang-related trends are also provided. The assessment also identifies intelligence gaps and provides predictive estimates regarding significant gang-related issues."

  National Gang Intelligence Center (U.S.); National Drug Intelligence Center (U.S.)

  2009-01
• Mobilizing Communities to Address Gang Problems

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  "A proven, effective set of prescribed steps for mobilizing communities to address gang problems does not exist. This review of the literature on community-mobilization initiatives was undertaken to identify potentially effective steps, with the aim of laying the groundwork for pilot-testing them. The review begins with a discussion of definitions pertaining to community mobilization, followed by an examination of the history of initiatives that have addressed gang problems. This is followed by a review of research on community-mobilization implementation in five gang program demonstration sites. This report concludes with suggested key elements of successful community mobilization."

  National Youth Gang Center (U.S.)

  Howell, James C.; Curry, G. David

  2009-01
• Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [December 18, 2008]

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  "The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Since 1994, trade between the countries has tripled. Bilateral relations are generally friendly, although the U.S. enactment of border fence legislation in 2006 caused some tension in the relationship. Under the Bush Administration, the United States launched initiatives to combat drug trafficking, augment border security, and combat human smuggling. Drug trafficking issues are prominent in relations since Mexico is the leading transit country for cocaine, a leading supplier of methamphetamine and heroin, and the leading foreign supplier of marijuana to the United States. In October 2007, the United States and Mexico proposed the Mérida Initiative to combat drug trafficking, gangs, and organized crime in Mexico and Central America. [...]. An unexpected challenge for Calderón is the effect of the recent global financial crisis on the Mexican economy, which already has led to a decline in the stock market and the value of the peso. The 111th Congress will likely maintain an active interest in Mexico with myriad counternarcotics, migration, trade, and border issues dominating the agenda. Comprehensive immigration reform was debated early in the 110th Congress, but the issue was put aside following a failed cloture motion in the Senate on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S. 1348). Immigration reform efforts once again could be considered in the 111th Congress."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.

  2008-12-18
• Brief Review of Federal and State Definitions of the Terms 'Gang,' 'Gang Crime,' and 'Gang Member' [December 2008]

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  This document contains legal definitions, as outlined in public law, for the terms "gang," "gang crime," and "gang member." Also included are federal and state definitions, a violent gang ad terrorist organizations file, and a table listing definitions by each state, alphabetically.

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  2008-12
• 2009 National Drug Threat Assessment

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  "This assessment provides a strategic overview and predictive outlook of drug trafficking and abuse trends within the United States. The assessment identifies the primary drug threats to the nation, tracks drug availability throughout the country, and analyzes trafficking and distribution patterns of illicit drugs within the United States. It evaluates the threat posed by illegal drugs by examining availability, production and cultivation, transportation, distribution, and demand." The report contains separate sections for cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, controlled prescription drugs, and MDMA. Gangs, drug trafficking organizations, and illicit financing are also examined. Appendices to the report contain relevant maps and tables, as well as an overview of the scope and methodology.

  National Drug Intelligence Center (U.S.)

  2008-12
• 287(G): Cross-Delegating State and Local Law Enforcement Officers with Federal Immigration Authority -- Homeland Security Remedy or Rue?

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  "As a result of the federal government's shortcomings in thwarting illegal immigration, state and local law enforcement agencies are now largely shouldering the problem of criminal activity associated with illegal immigration. Section 287(g) of the INA allows state and local police to actively participate in immigration enforcement, but has raised concerns about how to balance public safety with concerns of a 'chilling effect' on the immigrant community. This thesis surveyed current and prospective 287(g) participants in order to develop a model for voluntary local, state and federal immigration enforcement collaboration. The proposed model confines immigration enforcement to a small group of select officers representing agencies that volunteer based on the needs of their communities; ICE agents would be active participants. The enforcement would target serious crimes that support illegal immigration such as alien smuggling, fraudulent documents, transnational gang activity and drug trafficking. Enforcement efforts would be supplemented by community outreach and efforts to mitigate the chilling effect that deters many state and local police from engaging in immigration enforcement."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Lines, Johnathan L.

  2008-12
• Neglected Issues and Possible Strategies for the Iraqi Economy After the 2003 Invasion

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  "National interests and plans for the future play an important role in international relations. Because the Middle East encompasses one of the most important resources -- oil, ongoing events in the area have impacted world economic conditions. For this reason, this thesis touches on the Iraqi economic situation after the 2003 invasion, since it plays a crucial role in the global economy and security. Beginning with the wrong policies of the Baath regime in the pre-invasion period, this thesis continues with the main problems of Iraq in the economic realm, then focuses on the three neglected issues--the informal economy, deterioration in social capital, and the insurgency and criminal gangs. All of these issues require great attention to build and maintain a secure and stable environment in Iraq. Then, the thesis gives some lessons learned to date, and solution propositions as strategies at the local level. It then concludes with general strategic points to look at in the future. During the thesis research, the latest formal reports were used to reveal the current situation in Iraq. Scholarly interpretations were cited from various scholars to evaluate the aftermath of the 2003 invasion in Iraq in broad sense. Finally, this thesis emphasizes the required remedies for a better Iraqi economy, and possible future expectations from U.S. decision makers."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Poyraz, Hasan Ertan

  2008-12
• Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [Updated November 14, 2008]

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  "The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Bilateral relations are generally friendly, although the U.S. enactment of border fence legislation in 2006 caused some tension in the relationship. Drug trafficking issues are prominent in relations since Mexico is the leading transit country for cocaine, a leading supplier of methamphetamine and heroin, and the leading foreign supplier of marijuana to the United States. In October 2007, the United States and Mexico proposed the Mérida Initiative to combat drug trafficking, gangs, and organized crime in Mexico and Central America. In legislative action in June 2008 on H.R. 2642 (P.L. 110-252), Congress appropriated $400 million for Mexico -- $352 million in FY2008 supplemental assistance and $48 million in FY2009 bridge fund supplemental assistance. Shortly after taking office in December 2006, President Felipe Calderón of the conservative National Action Party (PAN) launched operations against Mexican drug cartels. He has sent some 40,000 soldiers and 5,000 federal police to drug trafficking 'hot-spots,' and is contending with an escalation of drug violence throughout the country. Calderón has increased extraditions to the United States, and has demonstrated an unprecedented willingness to reach out for counternarcotics assistance from the United States while also calling for increased U.S. efforts on arms trafficking and a reduction in the U.S. demand for illicit drugs. In his first two years in office, President Calderón secured approval of several major reforms, including fiscal and pension reforms in 2007, and judicial and energy reforms in 2008. An unexpected challenge for Calderón is the effect of the recent global financial crisis on the Mexican economy, which already has led to a decline in the stock market, the value of the peso, and remittances from Mexicans abroad."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.; Cook, Colleen W.; Durand, Alessandra

  2008-11-14
• EMR-ISAC: InfoGram 42-08 [October 30, 2008]

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  The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center's (EMR-ISAC) InfoGram is a weekly publication of information concerning the protection of critical infrastructures relevant to members of the Emergency Services Sector.This issue includes the following articles: "Election Day Preparedness"; "National Gang Intelligence Center"; "DHS Standards Adoption"; and "Private Sector Resource Awards".

  Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)

  2008-10-30
• Homeland Security Immigration Policy

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  This Homeland Security page provides information as of October 23, 2008 on immigration policy. It contains charts on worksite enforcement arrests, alien removals, and operation community shield which aims to remove gang members from the streets.

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2008-10-23
• Gangs in Central America [Updated October 17, 2008]

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  "The 110th Congress maintains a keen interest in the effects of crime and gang violence in Central America and its spillover effects on the United States. Since February 2005, more than 1,758 alleged members of the violent Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang have been arrested in cities across the United States. These arrests have raised concerns about the transnational activities of Central American gangs, and governments throughout the region are struggling to find the right combination of suppressive and preventive policies to deal with them. [...] An inter-agency committee worked together to develop a U.S. Strategy to Combat Criminal Gangs from Central America and Mexico, announced at a July 2007 U.S.-Central American Integration System (SICA) summit on security issues. The strategy, which is now being implemented, states that the U.S. government will pursue coordinated antigang activities through five broad areas: diplomacy, repatriation, law enforcement, capacity enhancement, and prevention. During the first session of the 110th Congress, several Members introduced immigration legislation -- H.R. 1645 (Gutierrez), S. 330 (Isakson), and S. 1348 (Reid) -- that included provisions to increase cooperation among the United States, Mexico, and Central America in the tracking of gang activity and in the handling of deported gang members, but none of those bills were enacted. [...] The Consolidation Appropriations Act, FY2008 (H.R. 2764/P.L. 110-161), included the provision of $8 million to the State Department to combat criminal youth gangs, $3 million more than the Administration's request. During its second session, the 110th Congress may consider the Mérida Initiative, a new anticrime and counterdug aid package for Mexico and Central America introduced by the Administration in October 2007 [...] This report describes the gang problem in Central America, discusses country and regional approaches to deal with the gangs, and analyzes U.S. policy with respect to gangs in Central America."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Seelke, Clare Ribando

  2008-10-17
• Remarks by Under Secretary Charles Allen at AFCEA-SOUTHCOM 'South 2008' Conference Panel: 'Narco-Trafficking: What is the Nexus with the War on Terror?'

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  Under Secretary for Homeland Security Charles Allen delivered these remarks before a conference that focused on the implications that narco-trafficking has on how DHS fights the war on terror and provides border security. "As a nation, when we think about drugs and terrorism, we often think of the highly visible global struggle against radical extremism and the opium fields of Afghanistan. Yet a reported 90 percent of the cocaine entering the United States originates in the southern region of the Western Hemisphere -- from Colombia -- and more is being produced in Peru and Bolivia. We also tend to think of this region as nuclear free, devoid of large conventional forces and an area from which no terrorist attacks have been launched against the United States; in other words, a relative peaceful and low priority region in the context of defense. Yet many of the threats to the homeland (drug trafficking, gangs, money laundering and all categories of migrant smuggling) enter the United States through our southern land and maritime borders after originating from or transiting the region. […] Mexico's strategic location on our southwest border demands notice as we discuss the drug-terror connection. At the Department of Homeland Security, we focus on the possibility that terrorist groups might seek to smuggle operatives or weapons of mass destruction across the U.S.-Mexican border -- even though those scenarios may have a low probability."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  Allen, Charles E.

  2008-10-08
• Narco-Trafficking: What Is the Nexus With the War on Terror?

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  This U.S. State Department fact sheet discusses narco-trafficking and how it relates to terrorism. "The nexus between crime and terrorism has received much attention in the post September 11 world. [...] But how strong is the complicity of criminal networks with terrorist organizations today beyond the well-known narco-terrorism cases? And what trends around the world are we seeing today and what lessons have we learned that are applicable today, especially in our own backyards? Given that drug money often fuels other crimes, what is the current situational awareness related to the impact of narco-corruption and narco-trafficking in the war on terrorism in communities across the Western Hemisphere? Over the past decade, drug trafficking, transnational gangs, and other criminal organizations have grown in size and strength. They aggressively seek to undermine and intimidate government institutions in Mexico and Central America, compromise municipal and state law enforcement, and weaken governments' ability to provide public security and advance the rule of law."

  United States. Department of State

  2008-10-08