Mainstream Media Has Failed to Cover Cartels, Border Security

Our southwest border with Mexico is completely unlike any other part of the United States. It is also a place that needs to be personally experienced in order to fully understand the complexities and nuances of life next to another country...

After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, our relationship with Mexico became much more complicated. Some of us became concerned about terrorists entering the United States to do us harm by crossing the border from Mexico. Drug cartels—which had existed rather quietly for decades—were now cutting off people’s heads and massacring hundreds of innocent migrants, all in the pursuit of enormous drug profits. These cartels operate fluidly on both sides of the border and engage in violent activity throughout the United States.

However, they behave very differently here than they do in Mexico, and much of their illicit—and often violent—activity goes unnoticed by most of America. Reports of cartel-initiated murders, home invasions, kidnappings, and assaults on US law enforcement are usually relegated to local media outlets. These outlets often don’t have the time or ability to follow up on these stories months later, which is when cartel connections are frequently made...

...I have said repeatedly in my books, writings, and media interviews that I don’t believe our national leaders view the violence in Mexico as a threat to our national security, nor do they view border security as a high enough priority..