EDITORIAL: The Mexican-American drug war

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Mexican drug wars are wreaking havoc on the northern border towns of that country, and the violence is now spilling over into southern border towns in the United States. According to recent revelations from the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (AcTIC) and the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Investigative Support Center. Jerry Seper of The Washington Times reported Sept. 3 on how Mexico's crackdown on the drug cartels could impact the U.S: "Cartel members and police officials in Mexico, in a bid to spare their families from the violence that has overwhelmed many Mexican border towns, could begin relocating them to the United States, resulting in more homicides and home invasions along the southwestern border, increased availability of high-powered weapons to Mexican drug smugglers already in the U.S., and the potential for the family members to continue drug operations in the U.S."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said there has been "an unprecedented surge in violence along the 1,951-mile U.S.-Mexico border this year, with 892 border agents assaulted between October and July in fiscal 2008 - a stark increase when compared to the 638 assaults during the first 10 months of fiscal 2006. Some agents say the Border Patrol alone will be unable to handle the violence that is likely to be coming over the border in the next few years snf that it may be necessary for the U.S. military to play a role in tackling the problem.

Even more troubling is the silence from the presidential candidates on this issue and practically everything else related to illegal immigration. Both John McCain and Barack Obama both claim to be "tough" on illegal-alien crime. But it should be noted that last year, both Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama voted against an amendment by offered by Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, to the Senate immigration bill that would have permanently barred gang members, terrorists, sex offenders and illegal aliens convicted of at least three DUIs from the United States. In a very real sense, Americans who want the border secured to prevent criminal aliens from coming in do not have a candidate with a serious chance of winning the presidency this year.