Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should continue to assist the Government of Mexico in fighting the drug cartels and curbing violence against Mexican and United States citizens, both in the United States and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1032, a resolution to honor Agustin ``Bobby'' Salcedo, an exemplary American citizen who was the victim of a shocking murder in Mexico, and to urge the United States to be resolute in its efforts to help Mexico fight the drug cartels.

This past December, Bobby traveled to Gomez Palacio in the Mexican state of Durango to visit his wife's family for the holidays. On New Year's Eve, he was out with family and friends at a local restaurant when gunmen burst in and dragged Bobby, along with five other men, out of the restaurant at gunpoint. They were then each shot to death execution-style. The next day, all six bodies were found dumped in a ditch. Bobby was only 33 years old.

I met Bobby early in his career. Having grown up in my district, in El Monte, California, he was dedicated to improving the lives of children in his community. He was an elected school board member in the El Monte School District. He returned to his alma mater to become its assistant principal and was studying for his doctorate in education at UCLA. It was clear to everyone who knew him that he was going somewhere. He was a rising star.

After the investigation began, it was confirmed that none of the six murder victims were connected to the drug trade in any way. Bobby and the others were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their deaths exemplify the growing number of innocent bystanders who are becoming victimized by cartel violence in Mexico. It had seemed as though the situation could not get worse. However, only weeks after Bobby was murdered, the lead state investigator in his case was also shot dead by the drug cartels.

Bobby's murder brings to the forefront two critical issues: the urgency in finding the killers of Bobby Salcedo, and the importance of reducing the violence of the drug cartels in Mexico. There must be justice in the murder of Bobby Salcedo, but the challenges are great. The state of Durango is one of the most violent in Mexico. In 2009, there were 637 cartel-style murders in Durango, and not one of the cases has been solved by the police. State authorities are limited in their resources, and the cartels have successfully corrupted or scared away many officials from interfering in their business.

That is why I have asked the Mexican Government to make every effort to bring the full force of the federal government on the Salcedo murder. The federal government's strong stance against organized crime offers hope in this case. The federal government has greater resources at their disposal, such as forensic equipment, manpower, and training. Although the federal government has yet to federalize Bobby's case, I am hopeful they will realize this case is a symbol for both of our countries and can demonstrate to all parties that progress can be made.

We cannot allow the death of innocent bystanders, of American citizens, to pass without consequence. Until there is true accountability for the violence, there is little incentive for the drug lords to keep peace. But the overall solution is not stopping the violence of the drug cartels. The U.S. must be resolute in supporting Mexico's efforts to combat the drug trade and its violent consequences. There has been progress. President Felipe

Calderon made the combating of drug violence his focal point. He greatly increased efforts on the Federal level to track down the drug kingpins and reduce their supply lines.

In 2007 the United States and Mexico worked together to pass the Merida Initiative. This agreement took Mexican and American cooperation to a whole new level, providing over $1.3 billion to support the Mexican Government in its fight. The funds went to helicopters, surveillance aircraft, interdiction equipment, nonintrusive inspection equipment and improved data collection capabilities, as well as provided for training programs and institution building in Mexico.

But now we are at a critical point. The Merida Initiative will expire at the end of this year, the war has not been won, and the violence grows more disturbing each day. That is why Congress and the administration must decide now how to implement the next phase of this partnership.

In my conversations with law enforcement and state departments, three elements are critical in a new initiative: fighting the massive money laundering of funds out of the U.S., improving the forensic technology available to Mexican law enforcement entities, and helping Mexico rebuild its judicial institutions.

On money laundering: Every year between $8 billion to $10 billion is smuggled out of the U.S. by the drug cartels. Even as our law enforcement agencies are improving their ability to stop these funds from leaving the country, the cartels are finding novel ways to launder money. They are using money service businesses, online services, and even legitimate retail businesses as fronts for their illegal transactions, and they are also using massive bulk cash transfers. Stopping the money laundering gets at the heart of the drug cartel operation.

On technology: Mexican state and local law enforcement agencies are sorely lacking in the appropriate technology to combat these well-armed cartels. We must focus more of our efforts on the local institutions to provide them with 21st-century law enforcement technology.

And on the judiciary: until we have a partner with a strong judiciary and objective law enforcement, the cartels will continue to run free. By providing resources to train law enforcement and rooting out corruption amongst them, drug kingpins will be forced to face the consequences of their actions.

Now is the time to pass this resolution. Bobby Salcedo's death is a brutal reminder that this violence is a growing threat not just to Mexicans, but also to Americans. Bringing his killers to justice will vindicate his death, and ending the violence in Mexico will save the lives of thousands of innocent victims in this gruesome war. For these reasons, I urge you to vote in favor of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1032, ``Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should continue to assist the Mexican Government in fighting the drug cartels and curbing violence against Mexican and United States citizens, both in the United States and abroad.''

Let me begin by thanking my colleague Representative Judy Chu for introducing this resolution, as it is vitally important both to our national security and the safety of the American people that we confront the problem of transnational drug trafficking and attempt to reduce the violence associated with the trade of narcotics.

Violence related to the drug trade has hit catastrophic proportions over the last few years. Just across the United States-Mexico border from my home state of Texas a battle is being waged by armed gangs for the control of the illicit transnational drug market. In Mexico alone, drug cartels killed at least 5,600 people in 2008 and that number increased to more than 7,000 people in 2009. I condemn in the strongest possible terms this type of senseless violence and will work to see that violence against civilians in the U.S. and in Mexico is curbed or eliminated.

Unfortunately, execution-style killings and kidnappings have become the norm in many Mexican cities like Ciudad Juarez and Gomez Palacio as drug cartels attempt to extend the reach of their power and institute a sense of fear over the local populations.

In one of the most atrocious acts of violence against an innocent U.S. citizen, Bobby Salcedo was killed execution-style while vacationing in Mexico by a single gunshot to the head after being kidnapped. Mr. Salcedo was kidnapped while at dinner with family and friends in a restaurant and had no apparent connections to the drug or arms trade.

Mr. Salcedo was a pillar of his community in El Monte City, California where he served on the local School Board, and also served as the vice principal and football coach of Mountain View High School. Mr. Salcedo also served as a local leader for such organizations as the South El Monte/Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico Sister City Organization.

Furthermore, Mr. Salcedo was in the process of earning a doctoral degree in educational leadership at the University of California, Los Angeles, and had previously earned his bachelor's degree in history from California State University, Long Beach, and a master's degree in educational administration from California State University, San Bernardino.

Violence from the drug trade has also created many problems in my home city of Houston, Texas. Houston has one of the highest murder rates among U.S. cities with a population over 1 million. Furthermore, much of this violence likely stems from the fact that Houston is a major hub for drug traffickers, who supply cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine to distributors in other American markets. Many of these issues surrounding violence also stem from the problem of transnational gangs and organized crime cartels.

There are currently at least seven drug cartel organizations operating between the U.S. and Mexico. These groups are not only involved in the illicit transportation of drugs but are also involved in the illicit trade of firearms, execution of public officials and these groups have also terrorized entire local populations.

Many of these gangs and cartel organizations also have vast links and networks within the U.S., some even managing to penetrate American Junior High and High Schools. It is important that we recognize this threat and work towards the dissolution of these groups

and continue to promote legitimate transnational trade and exchange.

I would like to commend the Mexican Government under the leadership of President Felipe Calderon for having significantly increased their efforts to stop the drug cartels and end the violence, deploying some 45,000 troops and 5,000 police throughout Mexico. We in the U.S. will continue to support the Mexican Government as we did in 2008 when over $1,300,000,000 was appropriated to the Mexican Government to fight the illicit drug trade. This money was appropriated under the Merida Initiative to help break the power of the drug cartels, assist the Mexican Government in strengthening its military organizations, to help improve the capacity of its justice system, curtail gang activity in Mexico, and to diminish demand for drugs in the region

It is important that we continue to work vigilantly towards breaking the illicit drug trade links and networks between the U.S. and Mexico while working together to create a bright future through legitimate commercial and financial trade between our two great nations. I am quite confident that through a concerted effort towards increasing transnational trade and creating opportunities in the legitimate sector we can work towards a brighter future for both the U.S. and Mexico.

I ask that my colleagues support this resolution. I also ask my colleagues for their continued support of anti-drug trade measures as well as their support for ending the spate of violence that has become associated with the drug trade.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1032) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should continue to assist the Mexican Government in fighting the drug cartels and curbing violence against Mexican and United States citizens, both in the United States and abroad, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

On December 31, Mr. Agustin Roberto ``Bobby'' Salcedo, a high school vice principal and school board member, and a young leader of several local organizations, was brutally murdered while on a family vacation in Durango state, Mexico, at the hands of violent men with ties to Mexican drug cartels.

While enjoying the company of family and friends at a restaurant in the city of Gomez Palacio, Mr. Salcedo and five other patrons were taken hostage by a group of masked, armed individuals. They were all subsequently killed execution-style, their bodies discovered in a field a few hours later.

This incident is a tragic example of the drug-related violence that is plaguing Mexico today. Reliable estimates suggest that more than 16,000 people have died in drug-related violence since President Felipe Calderon declared a war on drug traffickers in January 2007, including almost 8,000 deaths in 2009 alone and over 1,000 so far this year.

Many of those killed each year are associated with the drug trade, but there has been an alarming increase in the number of innocent bystanders who have become victims of the violence, including Mr. Salcedo. Last year, more than 500 women and children were killed by these cartels. The Department of Justice has identified the Mexican cartels as ``the greatest drug trafficking threat to the United States.'' Indeed, these cartels are major producers and suppliers of heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana to the United States drug market and the major transit country for 90 percent of the cocaine sold in the United States.

In light of horrific events such as Mr. Salcedo's senseless murder, which the FBI continues to investigate, alongside Mexican authorities, we must continue to seek justice for all American citizens and other innocents harmed by drug-related violence.

Mr. Salcedo was a respected member of his El Monte, California, community, and an inspiration to so many of his students. His friends and family deserve to see that his murderers and their patrons are brought to justice. The United States must continue to work with Mexico to break the grip of the powerful drug cartels, curtail violence, reduce arms trafficking from the United States to Mexico, and diminish the demand for drugs throughout North America.

It is important that we express our solidarity with the Mexican people and government who are on the front lines of the fight against the cartels, and that we work together closely to address the drug- related violence that has had such a devastating effect on both of our countries.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu).

I yield an additional 30 seconds for my colleague to sum up.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate our colleague from California (Ms. Chu) for her leadership on this issue.

I was in Mexico just about 1 year ago, and clearly the unfolding violence is something that ought to be of great concern to every American. It is just on the southern part of our border, and frankly it is something that is very alarming in its scope and in its unparalleled violence. I thank our colleague from California for bringing this once again to the attention of the United States Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleague in supporting the ongoing cooperation between the United States and Mexico to fight the drug cartels and curb the drug-related violence which is increasingly impacting our citizens on both sides of the border. There is no doubt that through the Merida Initiative, significant gains have been made against narcotraffickers and organized crime in Mexico over the past couple of years.

However, as is to be expected, the harder we fight to get them off the streets, the harder they fight to stay there. More than 7,000 people were killed at the hands of drug-related violence in Mexico last year alone. One of those victims is recognized in this resolution, Mr. Agustin Roberto ``Bobby'' Salcedo, a U.S. citizen and resident of California. Mr. Salcedo was in Mexico visiting his family, and was with family on New Year's Eve when, as the resolution states, he was callously abducted and murdered by a group of masked, armed men. His family has yet to learn why.

Unfortunately, Mr. Salcedo's story is one that many of us are becoming all too familiar with. Over 14 months ago, Mr. Felix Batista, a constituent of my congressional district, disappeared in Mexico. He has not been heard from or seen since. I have worked closely with many of my colleagues in the Florida delegation, both in the House and the Senate, especially our Florida Senator Bill Nelson, to try to help his family over the last year. And while it is my understanding that the FBI and Mexican authorities were investigating his case, his family has yet to gain a better understanding of exactly what happened to Mr. Batista on December 10, 2008.

The tragic disappearance of Mr. Batista and so many other Americans who have been victims of violence in Mexico demonstrates that the security challenges facing our neighbor in the south also pose a threat to the safety of our Nation and our citizens. It is critical that we continue to work with Mexico and other democratic partners in the region to present a united front against narcotraffickers in our hemisphere. We especially must not forget our partners in Colombia. While there is no doubt that tremendous advances have been made, the premature reduction in assistance to Colombia would undoubtedly put these great gains at risk. Much hard work remains to be done in Colombia and throughout the region.

Together we can successfully confront the transnational nature of these criminals and their illicit activities.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1032.

H. Res. 1032 not only stresses the need to work with the Mexican law enforcement community in the fight against drug cartels, it also honors the life of El Monte resident, Agustin Roberto ``Bobby'' Salcedo. El Monte is a great city in the San Gabriel Valley which Congresswoman Chu, the author of this resolution, and I represent. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of H. Res. 1032 and I want to thank Congresswoman Chu for her hard work on this important issue, and her dedication to the Salcedo family and the El Monte community.

Mr. Salcedo was an innocent bystander in the relentless, ongoing drug war that is being waged throughout Mexico. He was viciously murdered, along with five other men, while visiting family in Mexico over the holidays. It is clear that Bobby Salcedo touched the lives of thousands through his work as a teacher, coach and school administrator and I offer my deepest condolences his family and friends. The community of El Monte lost an outstanding family man, friend, colleague and educator.

Unfortunately Mr. Salcedo is not the only innocent victim in this drug war. As noted in H. Res. 1032, there has been an outbreak of violence in Mexico and individuals who have no connection whatsoever to the drug cartels are in danger. I will continue to support efforts in Congress to ensure that our law enforcement have the resources they need to end drug related violence in Mexico and the United States. This will not be an easy task. The cartels are ruthless in their desire to continue the brutality.

The Mexican government and the FBI are working together to solve Mr. Salcedo's murder. It is my hope that with continued cooperation between law enforcement agencies in both the United States and Mexico, the individuals who committed this senseless crime against Mr. Salcedo will soon be brought to justice.