Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today applauded the Mexican government for stepping up efforts to tackle violence in its border region.

Earlier this month Bingaman met with Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan and Mexico’s Attorney General Eduardo Medina-Mora to raise serious concerns about the number of deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border. At the meeting, the officials told Bingaman the government intended to send military personnel and law enforcement to the region. Today, the government of Felipe Calderon formally announced it had deployed Army soldiers and federal police agents to crack down on the violence.

“There has been a growing problem of violence along Mexico’s border with our state, and I met with top Mexican officials to press them to take action. I’m pleased that the Mexican government responded and has unveiled this plan to crack down on the violence and drug-related activity in the area,” Bingaman said.

Bingaman has been working to support anti-crime initiatives along the U.S.-Mexico border. He secured $223,250 this year to help the Southwest Border Law Enforcement Alliance, which is comprised of border law enforcement agencies in New Mexico, with border-related criminal activity, such as human smuggling, narcotics trafficking, vehicle thefts, and destruction of private property.

This week Bingaman began pressing for $255 million to fully fund the National Guard Counterdrug Program, which funds anti-drug efforts in the various states. Over the past few years, Bingaman has secured more than $8 million under this program specifically for the New Mexico National Guard’s counterdrug initiative, which is aimed at fighting drug trafficking and assisting Border Patrol with surveillance activities, dismantling vehicles suspected of carrying narcotics, and assisting with the construction of vehicle barrier along the border. Bingaman will be seeking an additional set-aside for the New Mexico National Guard again this year.