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Mexico's Drug Cartels [Updated February 25, 2008]
"Mexico, a major drug producing and transit country, is the main foreign supplier of marijuana and a major supplier of methamphetamine to the United States. Although Mexico accounts for only a small share of worldwide heroin production, it supplies a large share of heroin consumed in the United States. An estimated 90% of cocaine entering the United States transits Mexico. Violence in the border region has affected U.S. citizens and more than 60 Americans have been kidnapped in Nuevo Laredo. In July 2007, Mexican drug cartels reportedly threatened to kill a U.S. journalist covering drug violence in the border region. The proposed Mérida Initiative would provide at least $950 million to combat drug and organized crime. […] Felipe Calderón has called drug violence a threat to the Mexican state. This report provides an overview of: Mexican cartels and their operations, including the nature of cartel ties to gangs such as the Mara Salvatrucha; Mexican cartel drug production in the United States; and the presence of Mexican cartel cells in the United States. Mexican cartels allegedly have used their vast financial resources to corrupt Mexican public officials who either turn a blind eye to cartel activities or work directly for them. Since 2005, the Mexican government has made numerous efforts to purge corrupt police. In December 2006, President Felipe Calderón launched operations against the cartels in 9 of Mexico's 32 states. He has pledged to use extradition as a tool against drug traffickers, and sent 73 criminals to the United States as of August 2007, including the alleged head of the Gulf Cartel. This report also examines potential policy approaches to the problem of drug trafficking and violence. Current U.S. and Mexican policy emphasizes interdiction and eradication."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Colleen W.
2008-02-25
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Honduran-U.S. Relations [Updated January 30, 2008]
This report discusses the current political and economic conditions in Honduras, and relations with the United States including trade, foreign assistance, military presence, migrations issues, drug and human trafficking, port security. From the report: "The United States has a close relationship with Honduras, characterized by an important trade partnership, a U.S. military presence in the country, and cooperation on a range of transnational issues. Honduras is a party to the Dominican Republic- Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). There has been extensive cooperation with Honduras on port security. Some 78,000 Hondurans living in the United States have been provided temporary protected status (TPS) since the country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. In early May 2007, TPS was extended until January 2009. U.S. foreign aid to Honduras amounted to almost $53 million in FY2006 and an estimated $46 million in FY2007. The Millennium Challenge Corporation approved a five-year $215 million compact with Honduras in 2005. The Administration requested $43 million in FY2008 foreign aid funding for Honduras. Although foreign aid allocations are not yet available, the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 101-161) provided for levels of Development Assistance and Child Survival and Health assistance for Honduras not lower than that provided in FY2007. The Administration has also requested at least $7.4 million in FY2008 supplemental assistance for Honduras as part of the Administration's Mérida Initiative to boost the region's capabilities to interdict the smuggling of drugs, arms, and people, and to support a regional anti-gang strategy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.
2008-01-30
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Honduran-U.S. Relations [August 10, 2007]
From the Summary: "The Central American nation of Honduras, one of the hemisphere's poorest countries, faces significant challenges in the areas of crime, human rights, and improving overall economic and living conditions. While traditional agricultural exports of coffee and bananas are still important for the economy, nontraditional sectors, especially the maquiladora, or export-processing industry, have grown significantly over the past decade. Among the country's development challenges are a poverty rate over 70%, high infant mortality, and a significant HIV/AIDS epidemic. Despite these challenges, increased public spending on health and education have reaped significant improvements in development indicators over the past decade. Current President Manuel Zelaya of the Liberal Party won a four-year term in the November 2005 elections. The country has enjoyed 25 years of uninterrupted elected civilian democratic rule. The economy grew an estimated 6% in 2006, benefiting from significant debt reduction by the international financial institutions that is freeing government resources to finance poverty-reduction programs. A key challenge for the government is curbing violent crime and the growth of youth gangs. The United States has a close relationship with Honduras, characterized by an important trade partnership, a U.S. military presence in the country, and cooperation on a range of transnational issues. Honduras is a party to the Dominican Republic- Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). There has been extensive cooperation on port security, with the largest port in Honduras, Puerto Cortés, included in both the Container Security Initiative and the Secure Freight Initiative."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Olhero, Nelson
2007-08-10
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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF): Budget and Operations for FY2010 [April 27, 2010]
From the Summary: "The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is the lead federal law enforcement agency charged with administering and enforcing federal laws related to the manufacture, importation, and distribution of firearms and explosives. Congress transferred ATF's enforcement and regulatory functions for firearms and explosives from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of the Homeland Security Act (P.L. 107-296). […]. In March 2010, the House Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations subcommittee held a hearing on the ATF FY2011 budget submission. Members of the subcommittee raised questions about gun trafficking on the Southwest border, regulatory backlogs, violent crime impact teams, and interagency coordination on gang violence. Congress has passed and the President has signed into law the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (P.L. 111-154). This act grants ATF greater authority to inspect the businesses and records of 'cigarette deliverers.' In addition, under the Mérida Initiative, ATF has recently released a Spanish language version of its firearms trace request software (e-Trace 4.0) to Mexico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, and has established a U.S.-Mexico ballistic information exchange capability under the National Integrated Ballistic Imaging Network program. Also of note, in the fall of 2009, the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General released three reports on ATF operations. The first examined ATF's Project Gunrunner. The second examined ATF's efforts to investigate contraband cigarette trafficking. The third examined ATF's concurrent jurisdiction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for explosives-related investigations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Krouse, William J.
2010-04-27
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Merida Initiative for Mexico and Central America: Funding and Policy Issues [January 21, 2010]
"Increasing violence perpetrated by drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and other criminal groups is threatening citizen security in Mexico and Central America. Drug-related violence claimed more than 6,500 lives in Mexico in 2009, and several Central American countries have among the highest homicide rates in the world. Mexican DTOs dominate the illicit drug market in 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 spilled over into the United States. On October 22, 2007, the United States and Mexico announced the Mérida Initiative, a proposed package of U.S. counterdrug and anticrime assistance for Mexico and Central America that would begin in FY2008 and last through FY2010. Congress appropriated roughly $1.3 billion for Mexico and Central America, as well as Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in the FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-252), FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 111- 8), and the FY2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-32). Each of these Acts contained human rights conditions on 15% of certain law enforcement and military assistance provided. Throughout 2009, drug-related violence in Mexico and the potential threat of spillover along the Southwest border focused congressional concern on the pace of implementation of the Mérida Initiative. On December 3, 2009, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a preliminary report for Congress on the status of funding for the Mérida Initiative."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2010-01-21
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First Responder's Toolbox: Terrorism Prevention--A Form of Violence Reduction
From the Document: "Terrorism Prevention, previously known as Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), is a multi-agency, multidisciplinary, proactive approach against the many forms of terrorist ideology. Terrorism Prevention works to protect our nation from terrorist threats, and remains our highest priority. It utilizes prevention, intervention, and disengagement efforts. The principles and strategies used in Terrorism Prevention are similar to those applied to community policing, counter-drug, and counter-gang initiatives. Where possible, Terrorism Prevention should be incorporated into existing programs related to public safety, public health, resilience, inclusion, and violence prevention."
National Counterterrorism Center (U.S.)
Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team
2017-10-30
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First Responder's Toolbox: Acid Attacks: Potential Opportunistic Threat and Rapid Treatment Awareness
From the Document: "The number of criminal and gang-related assaults involving acid or other corrosive substances has risen sharply in some Western countries. As of July 2017, police statistics in England indicate assaults and threats involving corrosives have risen from 183 in 2012 to more than 500 this year, according to open source reporting. Although there has been minimal specific interest by terrorists in acid attacks to date, we judge the increase in criminal incidents coupled with recent English-language terrorist messaging encouraging attacks using acid may spur opportunistic terrorist use of the tactic, underscoring the potential threat and importance of an immediate on-scene emergency response."
National Counterterrorism Center (U.S.)
Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team
2017-10-03
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Honduran-U.S. Relations [Updated September 25, 2008]
This Congressional Research Service (CRS) report discusses the current political and economic conditions in Honduras, and relations with the United States including trade, foreign assistance, military presence, migrations issues, drug and human trafficking, port security. "The Central American nation of Honduras, one of the hemisphere's poorest countries, faces significant challenges in the areas of crime, human rights, and improving overall economic and living conditions. […] Among the country's development challenges are a poverty rate over 70%, high infant mortality, and a significant HIV/AIDS epidemic. Despite these challenges, increased public spending on health and education have reaped significant improvements in development indicators over the past decade. […] The country has enjoyed 26 years of uninterrupted elected civilian democratic rule. […] The United States has a close relationship with Honduras, characterized by an important trade partnership, a U.S. military presence in the country, and cooperation on a range of transnational issues, although there have been some recent strains in relations in light of President Zelaya's move toward closer relations with Venezuela. Honduras is a party to the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). There has been extensive cooperation with Honduras on port security. […] Honduras will also be receiving at least $7.3 million in FY2008 supplemental assistance funding under the Administration's Mérida Initiative designed to boost the region's capabilities to interdict the smuggling of drugs, arms, and people and also support a regional anti-gang strategy (P.L. [Public Law] 110--252). For FY2009, the Administration has requested almost $53 million in assistance for Honduras, and the country would also receive a portion of the $100 million requested for Central America for continuation of the Mérida Initiative."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Meyer, Peter J.
2008-09-25
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 21 Issue 40, October 7, 2021
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: "NVFC [National Volunteer Fire Council] and IAFC [International Association of Fire Chiefs] release update to Lavender Ribbon Report on 11 best practices to prevent firefighter cancer"; "DHS S&T [Science and Technology Directorate] field tests FirstNet push-to-talk app for communications interoperability among DHS components and first responders"; "FEMA releases major update to Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101, final webinar on Oct. 13"; "REMINDER: Deadline to request FEMA Exercise Support is Nov. 1"; "Blockchain technology could provide secure communications for robot teams"; "Coinbase says hackers stole cryptocurrency from at least 6,000 customers;" "DHS issues roadmap to help organizations prepare for quantum computing threat"; "Conti gang threatens to dump victim data if ransom negotiations leak to reporters"; and "GAO [Government Accountability Office] flags six agencies on telework security measures."
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2021-10-07
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Central America's Northern Triangle: Challenges for U.S. Policymakers in 2021 [Updated May 13, 2021]
From the Document: "El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, located in the Northern Triangle region of Central America, have long struggled with high levels of poverty and inequality, widespread insecurity, and fragile democratic institutions. Already-difficult living conditions have worsened over the past year due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and two hurricanes. The International Monetary Fund estimates [hyperlink] the Salvadoran economy contracted by nearly 8.6% in 2020 and the Honduran and Guatemalan economies contracted by 8.0% and 1.5%, respectively. Nearly 1 million [hyperlink] Salvadorans, 3.1 million [hyperlink] Hondurans, and 3.7 million [hyperlink] Guatemalans are contending with crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity. Although the pandemic and government lockdowns initially disrupted criminal activities, reports suggest [hyperlink] domestic violence increased and gangs and illicit trafficking groups quickly adapted to the changed circumstances. Amid these challenges, the Northern Triangle governments have sought to undermine [hyperlink] anti-corruption efforts, weaken [hyperlink] judicial independence, and consolidate power [hyperlink], in the view of many analysts."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2021-05-13
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Mexico's Drug-Related Violence [May 27, 2009]
"Drug-related violence in Mexico has spiked in recent years as drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) have competed for control of smuggling routes into the United States. [...] President Felipe Calderón... [has] made battling the Mexican drug trafficking organizations a top priority. [...] In response to the government's crackdown, the DTOs have responded with escalating violence. [...] The government's intensified campaign against the DTOs resulted in changes in the structure of these criminal organizations. The seven major DTOs in Mexico have reconfigured. The fracturing of some of the most powerful drug trafficking syndicates and the reemergence of once powerful DTOs have led to bloody conflict within and among the DTOs. [...] In October 2007, [the U.S. and Mexico] announced the Mérida Initiative to combat drug trafficking, gangs and organized crime... To date, the U.S. Congress has appropriated a total of $700 million for Mexico under the Mérida Initiative. The program, which combines counternarcotics equipment and training with rule of law and justice reform efforts, is still in its initial stages of implementation. [...] This report examines the causes for the escalation of the violence in Mexico. It provides a brief overview of Mexico's counterdrug efforts, a description of the major DTOs, the causes and trends in the violence, the Calderón government's efforts to crackdown on the DTOs, and the objectives and implementation of the Mérida Initiative as a response to the violence in Mexico."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2009-05-27
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Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences among Youths: A Compendium of Assessment Tools - Second Edition
"This compendium provides researchers and prevention specialists with a set of tools to assess violence-related beliefs, behaviors, and influences, as well as to evaluate programs to prevent youth violence. If you are new to the field of youth violence prevention and unfamiliar with available measures, you may find this compendium to be particularly useful. If you are an experienced researcher, this compendium may serve as a resource to identify additional measures to assess the factors associated with violence among youths. [...] Several measures to assess peer, family, and community influences have been added to the compendium. Many of these measures are from the major longitudinal and prevention research studies of youth violence being conducted in the United States. Most of the measures in this compendium are intended for use with youths between the ages of 11 and 24 years, to assess such factors as serious violent and delinquent behavior, conflict resolution strategies, social and emotional competencies, peer influences, parental monitoring and supervision, family relationships, exposure to violence, collective efficacy, and neighborhood characteristics. The compendium also contains a number of scales and assessments developed for use with children between the ages of 5 and 10 years, to measure factors such as aggressive fantasies, beliefs supportive of aggression, attributional biases, prosocial behavior, and aggressive behavior. When parent and teacher versions of assessments are available, they are included as well." Assessments on gang attitudes are also included.
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (U.S.)
2005
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El Salvador: Political, Economic, and Social Conditions and Relations with the United States [Updated January 3, 2007]
From the Summary: "Tony Saca, a businessman from the conservative National Republican Alliance (ARENA) party, was inaugurated for a five-year presidential term in June 2004. President Saca is seeking to promote trade-led economic growth, combat gang violence, and improve El Salvador's public finances. His ARENA party is the largest party in the legislature but lacks a majority and generally relies on support from small parties to enact legislation. Saca's agenda is facing continued opposition from the leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), the second largest party in the legislature. In 2006, despite tough anti-crime legislation, there were reportedly 3,671 homicides in El Salvador, the same as in 2005. In February 2006, the Bush Administration extended the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of eligible Salvadoran migrants living in the United States until September 9, 2007. On March 1, 2006, El Salvador became the first country in the region to implement the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). In late November 2006, El Salvador signed a five-year, $461 million compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation for development of its impoverished northern border region. This report will be updated periodically."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2007-01-03
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Shared Responsibility: Counternarcotics And Citizen Security in the Americas, Hearing Before the, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Global Narcotics Affairs of the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, First Session, March 31, 2011
From the opening statement of Robert Menendez: "Welcome to our hearing on shared responsibility, counternarcotics and citizen security in the Americas. Let me thank our panelists for coming today. We look forward to your insights. Let me begin by laying out the framework for our discussion today and some sobering statistics. Latin America and the Caribbean region has one of the highest crime rates of any region in the world. According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crimes, in 2003 the homicide rate in Latin America and the Caribbean was 19.9 per 100,000 people. By 2008, the rate had climbed to an astounding 32.6 per 100,000 people. In El Salvador, the rate is estimated to be as high as 71 per 100,000, despite President Funes's tremendous efforts to combat the maras, gangs that are largely responsible for violent crime. It is not a coincidence that cocaine seizures in Central America have also tripled during this time period. The problem is no longer limited to transit or trafficking in drugs, but has expanded into production and domestic consumption. Earlier this month, Honduran authorities found a cocaine processing laboratory in the remote northeastern mountains capable of producing 440 to 880 pounds of cocaine a week." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Robert Menendez, Cynthia Arnson, William R. Brownfield, Vanda Felbab-Brown, Stephen Johnson, R. Gil Kerlikowske, Eric Olson, and William F. Wechsler.
United States. Government Printing Office
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1 is 2 Many: Twenty Years Fighting Violence Against Women and Girls
From the Overview: "Twenty years after the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), many citizens cannot remember a day in which Americans ignored this violence, or worse, condoned it. The papers are flooded daily with stories from abroad--of gang rapes and kidnappings, of honor killings and acid attacks, of a child shot for promoting girls' education. History tells us, however, that what we see today so clearly as an assault on human dignity abroad has not always been seen so clearly at home. Twenty years ago, for most citizens, domestic violence and sexual assault were covered by a veil of ignorance and inattention, an open secret, acknowledged but ignored. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, public officials openly declared that the federal government had no role to play, that battling domestic violence was a 'private family matter.' Then, members of Congress complained that federal intervention was 'anti-family,' that shelters were 'indoctrination centers' filled with 'missionaries who would war' on the family, that domestic violence was somehow akin to 'spanking' or 'nagging.' Citizens dismissed sexual assault and battering by blaming the victim--'She asked for it,' 'she wore a short skirt,' 'she drank too much.' In 1990, when it was first introduced, the Violence Against Women Act gave a new name and a new voice to an ancient tragedy."
United States. White House Office
2014-09
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Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney [July 20, 2011]
In this July 20, 2011 Press Briefing, Secretary Jay Carney answers questions on President Obama's phone call to Senate Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader Pelosi regarding the current deficit reduction negotiations; the U.S. position on Libya and Qaddafi; the Gang of Six plan for deficit reduction; and the approaching August 2nd deadline for the debt ceiling.
United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary
2011-07-20
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Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney [July 21, 2011]
In this July 21, 2011 Press Briefing, Secretary Jay Carney answers questions on current negotiations toward a deficit reduction solution, the various possible areas where spending cuts could be made to reach a budget solution, President Obama's opinion that the debit solution must be more permanent and long term for the overall good of the United States Economy, the approaching August 2nd deadline to raise the debt ceiling, recent developments in Syria, and the President's conversations with the Gang of Six in reference to reaching a debt reduction solution.
United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary
2011-07-21
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Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney [July 19, 2011]
In this July 19, 2011 press briefing, Press Secretary Jay Carney answers questions on the current status of the debit and budget deficit talks; the Gang of Six/Seven debt resolution and its effect on the House Republican caucus at large; the importance of a bipartisan balanced approach to the debit issue; the McConnell backup plan for budget deficit reduction; possible changes to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security; the current transition process to Syrian democracy; and Secretary Clinton's Libyan contact meeting.
United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary
2011-07-19
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Address by the President to the Nation on the Way Forward in Iraq: September 13, 2007
This is the President's Address on the Way Forward in Iraq given on 13 September 2007. In his address, he states: "The premise of our strategy is that securing the Iraqi population is the foundation for all other progress. For Iraqis to bridge sectarian divides, they need to feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods. For lasting reconciliation to take root, Iraqis must feel confident that they do not need sectarian gangs for security. The goal of the surge is to provide that security and to help prepare Iraqi forces to maintain it. As I will explain tonight, our success in meeting these objectives now allows us to begin bringing some of our troops home."
United States. White House Office
Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
2007-09-13
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 3249, Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program Authorization Act of 2017
"H.R. 3249 would authorize the appropriation of $50 million annually over the 2018-2020 period for the Department of Justice to make grants to state and local governments to support intergovernmental partnerships that would aim to reduce violent crime, including that perpetrated by street gangs. Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing H.R. 3249 would cost $130 million over the 2018-2022 period, with the remaining amounts spent in subsequent years. The costs of the bill fall within budget function 750 (administration of justice) and are shown in the following table. Estimated outlays are based on the historical rate of spending for similar programs."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2017-11-20
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Restoring Enforcement of Our Nation's Immigration Laws, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security of the Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, First Session, March 28, 2017
This testimony compilation is from the March 28, 2017 hearing, "Restoring Enforcement of Our Nation's Immigration Laws" before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security of the Committee on the Judiciary. From the statement of Jessica Vaughan: "Obama administration policies left immigration enforcement in a state of collapse. Interior enforcement was systematically dismantled to a fraction of previous years, we experienced a surge of new illegal arrivals at the southwest border seeking to take advantage of catch and release policies and lenient rules for claiming asylum; and the size of the illegal population ticked upward again. The suppression of enforcement has imposed enormous costs on American communities in the form of lost job opportunities and stagnant wages for native workers, higher tax bills to cover increasing outlays for social services and benefits, compromised national security, and public safety threats. The Trump administration has begun using executive authority to restore enforcement in many important ways. But there is only so much that can be done by the president. Under our constitution, Congress is really the lead branch of government on immigration law, and action from Congress is necessary to fully address the most important weak spots in immigration control. Specifically, Congress needs to address the problem of illegal hiring; tackle the problem of sanctuaries; update the laws supporting gang-related enforcement; and reduce opportunities for executive abuse of authority on work permits, parole, deferred action, and other gimmicks that have been used to offer legal status to people not authorized by Congress." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Thomas Hodgson, Jessica Vaughan, Andrew Arthur, and Archi Pyati.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary
2017-03-28
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Empowering Local Law Enforcement to Combat Illegal Immigration, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources of the Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session, August 25, 2006
From the opening statement of Mr. Souder: "This is the third hearing our subcommittee has held this year on the subject of illegal immigration. The first was in Winston-Salem in April on illegal immigrant gangs, and the second was just last month in Washington, DC, on the proposed expansion of the Southwest border fence. I'd like to thank my fellow member and good friend, Sue Myrick, classmate, who was--has invited us here to her district. I hope that the information we gather at this hearing will help us achieve the goals of securing our border and enhancing Federal partnership with State and local officials in combating illegal immigration. I should also point out that this subcommittee did a major border report three or 4 years ago before the creation of the Homeland Security Committee that was the foundation of the border committee, that 2- year cycle we did somewhere in the vicinity of 10 to 12 hearings on both the Southwest border and on the Northern border in Canada so--and we have oversight over the Justice Department, which is why we work on illegal immigration. This is just the third hearing in the cycle of the last 6 months. Since 2001, the illegal immigrant population in this country has been swelling by nearly 1 million annually. After crossing the border, most illegal immigrants undoubtedly would prefer to quietly find work and earn money rather than participate in any activity that might draw the attention of law enforcement. However, some of them feel no such restraint, as many Federal, State and local police agencies will attest. As the illegal immigrant population swells, so too does the population of criminals among them."
United States. Government Printing Office
2007
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Maras and National Security in Central America
"The level of attention directed at the maras, pandillas, or gangs, in Central America and the United States, is increasing rapidly. Not only are there significant articles in publications such as The New York Times, The Economist, and Foreign Affairs, but there are also regional conferences sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Southern Command, the Presidents of Central America, and a large variety of national, regional, and international police organizations. With the opening of debate on the Central American Free Trade Agreement in the U.S. Congress in April 2005, there is likely to be even more attention to the problem the maras present for people in the region in terms of homicides, robberies, harassment, and extortion. In view of the violence the maras promote, it is no wonder that sectors of the population look back with nostalgia to the military regimes when there was order and stability, albeit authoritarian order enforced by state directed violence, as 'the good old days.' There is no doubt but that the maras are a pervasive criminal fact in Central America. The question I will address in this paper is whether, in addition to their unquestioned and pervasive criminal behavior, they are also a threat to national security in the region and to the United States The maras emerged out of the conflicts during the 1980s in Central America and are manifestations of our globalized world."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Contemporary Conflict
Bruneau, Thomas C.
2005-05
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Are the Maras Overwhelming Governments in Central America?
"Violence in Central America has grown so much in the last half decade that Colombia is no longer the homicide capital of the region. In fact, it now ranks fourth in that ignominious distinction behind El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.1 The violence is mostly due to the phenomenon of street gangs, also called pandillas or gangas, but most often maras. They have grown in number, sophistication, and stature and have largely overwhelmed the security forces of Central America's fledgling democracies. Altogether, these maras represent a significant threat to the security of the countries in the region. Numerous national, binational, multinational, regional, and hemispheric conferences have sought to address the problem."
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
Bruneau, Thomas C.
2006
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Fact Sheet: Unaccompanied Children from Central America
From the Document: "The Administration remains greatly concerned by the rise in unaccompanied children from Central America who are crossing into the United States. These children are some of the most vulnerable, and many become victims of violent crime or sexual abuse along the dangerous journey. There has also been a rise in the number of very young children, female children, and adults with their children that are making the journey. The vast majority of these individuals rely on dangerous human smuggling networks to transport them up through Central America and Mexico. To address the situation, the President directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate a government-wide response to this urgent situation. Our first priority is to manage the urgent humanitarian situation by making sure these children are housed, fed, and receive any necessary medical treatment. We also are taking steps to improve enforcement and partnering with our Central American counterparts in three key areas: combating gang violence and strengthening citizen security, spurring economic development, and improving capacity to receive and reintegrate returned families and children. In Guatemala, the Vice President is meeting with regional leaders to address the rise in the flow of unaccompanied children and adults with their children to the United States, to discuss our work together with the countries of Central America, and to discuss our efforts to help address the underlying security and economic issues that cause migration."
United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary
2014-06-20
