Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman urged the Obama administration to focus on identifying stolen vehicles being brought into Mexico as part of its ongoing efforts to curb the southbound flow of illegal weapons and drug proceeds.

At a Capitol Hill hearing featuring Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Alan Bersin, Bingaman said more needs to be done to ensure there is adequate infrastructure and technology in place at our nation's ports of entry to prevent bulk cash and weapons from being transported from the United States into Mexico.  The cash and weapons are used by drug trafficking organizations to maintain their operations.

"We will never fully get a handle on the drug trafficking problem if we don't stop the flow of weapons and bulk cash going into Mexico," Bingaman said.  "To accomplish that goal, we need to modernize our ports so they are able to inspect more southbound vehicles without disrupting trade."

Bersin agreed, saying CBP is in the process of developing southbound inspection teams.

Bingaman also urged CBP to do a better job of cracking down on the smuggling of stolen vehicles into Mexico.  He asked Bersin to consider expanding the use of license plate reading technology at or near the border.

Nationwide, seven of the 10 metropolitan statistical areas with the worst motor vehicle losses are on, or along, our nation's border with Mexico.  New Mexico has the highest non-recovery rate in the country for stolen vehicles and the city of Albuquerque ranks eighth in the nation in motor vehicle thefts.

"I believe we can do a much better job recovering stolen vehicles before they are taken into Mexico, and that includes employing the use of technology that can track stolen vehicles by reading their license plates before they leave the country," Bingaman said.

Bersin told Bingaman CBP intends to expand the use of the license plate reading technology.

Bersin was before the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over CBP.