Ted Poe: “our border is being held hostage by the lawless that roam the murky river banks of the Rio Grande. Just last week along…”

“our border is being held hostage by the lawless that roam the murky river banks of the Rio Grande. Just last week along the Texas-Mexico border, about 50 miles east of El Paso, Texas lawmen faced off with outlaws dressed as Mexican army soldiers. These criminals attempted to flee Texas State authorities. U.S. law enforcement authorities were met with camouflaged military- style Humvees with .50-caliber machine guns, forcing an armed standoff along these dangerous banks of the rugged Rio Grande. The Mexican government has claimed that these so-called soldiers were actually drug smugglers. Fortunately, whoever they were, their criminal intent was foiled because U.S. border officials, even though they were outgunned, tracked the smugglers and the outlaws until they quickly fled back into Mexico after the initial standoff. These outlaws left behind nearly a ton of marijuana after they set one of their own vehicles ablaze. Mexican officials are denying that these men were members of the Mexican army, claiming it is quite easy to buy Mexican military uniforms in local stores. But, of course, Mr. Speaker, we do not know the truth about that statement. This incident is not the first either. In November the U.S. border patrol chased criminals in a dump truck full of marijuana in the same area until it got stuck in the Rio Grande River on its way back to Mexico.…”