That is why Chairman King and I introduced H.R. 1270 designating the Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

I would like to commend President Calderon for taking on the drug cartels that are overtaking his country. Mexico is losing this war.

My intent is to help Mexico.

Clearly, the numbers I submitted in my written testimony are accurate--18.9 percent referral rate for drug felonies, and we have 9.4 percent of the population in our border region.

It is refreshing to hear--the reason for calling the second panel is to get people who are on the ground, down on the border, who understand it and have seen it up close and personal.

it is a Constitutional obligation, not a political obligation, to protect the border.

I want to thank all of you for your service. I want to thank you also for your suggestions.

We are not happy with the fact that our border is not secure, because we know it can be secure, if the Federal Government commits sufficient resources to do it.

We need to increase southbound checkpoints or our best teams to confiscate weapons and cash, and then use the cash to help pay for border security operations.

There cannot be homeland security without border security.

I just want an accurate assessment of what is the level of crime.

I would certainly like to see a large percentage... goes back into, to pay for these border security operations.