Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano today met to discuss border security issues, including the recent uptick in drug-related violence in Mexico.

Napolitano, who grew up in Albuquerque, met with Bingaman in his Capitol Hill office.  Bingaman discussed with her the need to reduce the flow of weapons and drug proceeds being smuggled from the United States into Mexico. Drug cartels use the guns and money to maintain their narco-trafficking operations.  The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for outbound inspections at U.S. ports of entry along the border.

Bingaman also recently secured $30 million in U.S. Department of Justice funding to assist border-area law enforcement agencies in fighting drug-related crime, and $10 million for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to crack down criminal networks supplying firearms to Mexican drug cartels. 

Bingaman also said he looks forward to working with the secretary to improve New Mexico’s ports of entry, and ensure that the border region remains a safe and economically vibrant area. 

“We are very fortunate to have Secretary Napolitano leading our Department of Homeland Security.  As a native New Mexican and former governor of Arizona, Secretary Napolitano understands the unique issues and concerns of border states,” Bingaman said.  “I am confident that she will be a key ally for our state.”