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Column 051214 Brewer

Monday, May 12, 2014
Mexico's Need to Secure Borders and
Harness Organized Crime
By Jerry Brewer
No organizational strategy for a solid and
coherent plan of action in the design,
development and deploying of comprehensive
police enforcement actions or plans for a
homeland can succeed without first coming to
grips with the realities of basic infrastructure
weaknesses.
As governments and their security forces in
Mexico and the northern cone nations of Central
America appear to be operationally
dysfunctional in terms of having answers or the
necessary resources to be proactive in meeting
the monumental challenges, many are in fact
stymied by indecision and mental paralyses due
to the escalating violence and apparent
unceasing threats.
The border regions between Mexico and the
U.S., and Mexico with Guatemala and Belize, are
areas where virtual criminal insurgency wars are
being waged. Honduras and El Salvador form
the next layer to the south facing this barbaric
transnational insurgency.
Escalating homicides and ongoing violence in
the northern cone nations of Central America
are causing misery and despair among those in
the path that leads north to the U.S. border and
beyond, all of which resonate further in a myriad
of new adversities and challenges in all
directions. As to Mexico, deaths there from this
murdering rampage are far above U.S. losses in

the Viet Nam war.
Unprotected borders are nothing less than a
swinging gate or revolving door that filters a
somewhat perceived methodical transition of
tolerance.
Last week a refreshing and most important
proactive idea was, once again, officially
articulated in terms of border security in
Mexico. This time the armed violence
implications were hushed for a milder warning
that, "Now that Mexico's birth rate has
stabilized, and it's economy is improving,
Mexico more and more finds itself victimized by
illegal immigrants. Mexico again wants to
address its own border security with Guatemala,
Belize, and the U.S.
Illegal immigrants from Central and South
America now make up more than half of all
illegal entrants into the U.S.
As this writer has noted since 2005, the
deficiencies of Mexicos virtually wide open
southern border have facilitated transnational
crime insurgent acts of violence and murder
with impunity, and countless other lawless
hostilities, in the homeland. All of which, in
turn, allows the culprits to achieve powers that
can threaten the Mexican state. Furthermore,
Mexicos failures at the U.S. border have
contributed significantly to the illicit flow of
contraband and people from Central American,
a pipeline that flows essentially unimpeded in
what seems to be a near rite of free passage to
the U.S. border.
Mexicos border policies, practices and
operations must have the needed infrastructure,
resources and support to make an impact on
contiguous border actions, and with Mexico's
neighbors.
Although U.S. Rep Henry Cuellar (D-TX) should
be commended for touting this most important
necessity last week, he fell short by advocating
for the U.S. to fund the Mexican border patrol
initiative. He recognized that, the U.S. may
also benefit from Mexico having a secured
border, and he stressed the importance of U.S.
coordination and cooperation. I think we will
do a much better job of securing our common
border so drugs and undocumented immigrants
don't pass into the United States."
What about the estimated US$80 billion a year
flowing back across the U.S. border into Mexico,
along with illegal weapons? Can anyone
realistically say that corruption on either side of
the border will not be a major concern and a
factor?
The reality is that border security for all nations
concerned must be a priority, and this means
now!
Borders must be secured in Mexico without fail,
and as timely as resources and commitment
allow. Mexico will also need a competent core of
professionals and experts that can lend technical
support in strategic and tactical border issues
and enforcement protocols.
The U.S. must concentrate on continuing to prop
up and effectively structure its own border
security, albeit with its own difficulties that
include financial and other resource constraints,
which yes involve the cleansing of some of
the same depravities that plague Mexico.

Jerry Brewer is C.E.O. of Criminal Justice
International Associates, a global threat
mitigation firm headquartered in northern
Virginia. His website is located at
www.cjiausa.org. TWITTER: CJIAUSA

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