Proposal to Send Troops to US/Mexico Border Hits Snag

The Washington Post reported yesterday that the DHS and DOD disagree over which agency should provide funding for additional forces to be sent to the US/Mexican border to combat narcotics and gun smuggling.  Secretary of Defense Gates argues that the DOD’s budget is straining under the cost of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and that the security of the border should be left to agencies that are charged with this specific mission, such as the Border Patrol and local police and state authorities. DHS Secretary and former Arizona Governor, Janet Napolitano, sides with the border-state governors who reason that border security is a federal issue. 

Regardless of which agency ends up paying for the troops, I disagree with the line of reasoning that an additional 1,500 guardsmen patrolling a 2,000 mile border that is crossed legally more than 800,000 times a day will make a significant impact on gun and drug smugglers.  Instead of combating the symptoms of the narco cartels, the US should pass stricter gun laws in border-states to stem the flow of illicit guns to Mexico.  

Check out the New York Times’ interactive feature “Smuggling Guns From Houston” to get an idea of the quantity and caliber of arms that can be smuggled into Mexico by just one gunrunner.  

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