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Congressmen Ask Speaker Pelosi for Commitment on Security from Mexico

4 years 3 months 3 weeks ago Thursday, December 05 2019 Dec 5, 2019 December 05, 2019 11:48 AM December 05, 2019 in News - Local

WASHINGTON – Congressmen Vicente Gonzalez and Filemon Vela sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressing their concern about transnational criminal organizations’ continued interference in the flow of cross border commerce and tourism.

The members requested the Speaker’s assistance to secure a firm commitment from the Mexican government to guarantee the protection of highways between the United States and Mexico used for trade and tourism.

According to the letter, a report released by the Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, 2018 was Mexico’s worst year of violence by far with a 15% increase from 2017 and a recorded 33,341 homicides.

The Transported Asset Protection Association also reported more than 4,000 incidents of cargo theft during the second quarter of 2018, a 27% increase from 2017.

In addition, the State Department recently issued travel advisories urging those traveling to Mexico to exercise extreme caution due to crime, kidnapping, violence and robbery in every Mexican state bordering the U.S. 

Safety for people and trade in the border region has remained a top priority for Congressman Gonzalez.

He has pushed U.S. and Mexican officials to include security commitments with operational plans like the Safe Highway proposal.

Mexican leadership still has yet to produce proper timelines and implementations plans for this pilot program which would secure six highways throughout Mexico, including Highway 40D, which connects to international bridges along the U.S. – Mexico border.

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