Ted Poe: “David Hartley, Lesley Enriquez, Arthur Redelfs, Nancy Davis, Carlos Mario Gonzalez Bermudez, Juan Carlos Echeverri, and…”

“David Hartley, Lesley Enriquez, Arthur Redelfs, Nancy Davis, Carlos Mario Gonzalez Bermudez, Juan Carlos Echeverri, and now ICE agent Jaime Zapata. These are all American victims of the border war, the third front, all murdered in Mexico. Yesterday, ICE agent Jaime Zapata was ambushed and murdered and another agent was wounded when they were gunned down at a fake ``checkpoint'' between Mexico City and Monterrey. None of the assassins or perpetrators of any of these homicides have ever been captured. I suspect, based upon Mexico's lax enforcement of the rule of law, no one will ever be held accountable. Agent Zapata's murder will be news for a few days, then the country will move on to other matters. But the border war continues against the vicious drug cartels and it is time we acknowledge that this war is not going away. The drug bandits have operational control of portions of the southern border. Drugs and people are smuggled north. Money and guns are smuggled south. We should help our neighbors restore the rule of law in Mexico and hold the lawless accountable for murdering Mexicans and Americans. Otherwise, there will be more murders like the one against Agent Zapata. And that's just the way it is.”