To call them advisory--gentlemen, they were targeted and attacked for who they are--not for what they do, but for who they are as U.S. law enforcement officials.

I think there are lessons learned from what we did in Colombia that we can be applying in Mexico to help win this war.

Failure is not an option.

The U.S. Homeland Security Role in the Mexican War Against Drug Cartels.

This is growing into another Afghanistan right on our border, and unfortunately, as much as I would like to say, 'Don't send my guys there if we can't protect them,' we play a critical role there and we do need to be there.

I will say this: While the FBI stats may show that the overall statistics on violent crime may have gone down, violent crime committed against us, law enforcement officers, increased over 41 percent last year and is increasing beyond that…

Cooperation with the Mexican government is in the interest of both countries, as is an integrated law enforcement approach to effectively target and defeat the cartels.

I said, 'I am going to make that statement and tell them that a constituent from my 10th Congressional district made that recommendation and I agree.'

You can't look at the crimes one-dimensionally.

I think the State Department--and we have had briefings on this, but I think we need greater clarification as to how they can defend themselves down there.

We can't allow Mexico to become a failed state.

It is one that I think can't be looked at in a narrow prism, and it is one that I think a lot of the testimony reflected that.