Congressman calls for Hearings on Islamic-Mexican Drug Gang Connections

Representative Ed Royce (R-CA) is calling on Congress to investigate the ties between Islamic terrorists and Mexican drug gangs revelaed in a report by the Drug Enforcement Agency in yesterday's Washington Times.

A ranking House Republican yesterday demanded a hearing based on recent reports that Islamic terrorists embedded in the United States are teaming with Mexican drug cartels to fund terrorism networks overseas.

Rep. Ed Royce, ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs terrorism and nonproliferation subcommittee, said the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) document — first reported yesterday by The Washington Times — highlights how vulnerable the nation is when fighting the war on terrorism.

"I'll be asking the terrorism subcommittee to hold a hearing on the DEA report's disturbing findings," said Mr. Royce of California. "A flood of name changes from Arabic to Hispanic and the reported linking of drug cartels on the Texas border with Middle East terrorism needs to be thoroughly investigated."

Likewise, Rep. John Culberson, Texas Republican, said the DEA document revealed startling evidence that Islamic radicals are camouflaging themselves as Hispanics while conducting business with violent drug-trafficking organizations.

The DEA reported that Islamic radicals, disguising themselves as Mexicans, had hooked up with drug gangs in order to fund operations overseas as well as make use of the cartel's established smuggling networks in order to move people and other contraband into the Southwestern United States.

Michael Maxwell, a senior analyst with the House Appropriations homeland security subcommittee, said that the report is evidence that terrorism cells exist in the U.S. and are being aided by dangerous narco-trafficking cartels.

"While the procurement of fraudulent or multiple identities by terrorists to hide criminal activity is not new, the information suggests terrorist tradecraft is evolving and relationships now exist between Mexican and Middle Eastern individuals or groups, embedded here in the United States," he added.

The report also showed that there are active terrorist cells here in the United States being funded by drug money.

Needless to say, getting control of our borders becomes even more urgent with the release of this information. We are sleepwalking our way to another 9/11 and neither the Administration or Congress seem able to deal with the problem of border enforcement that might prevent such a catastrophe.

Hat Tip: Ed Lasky

UPDATE

Doug Hanson emails an update:

It remains a mystery why it has taken six years after 9-11 for this clear threat to our national security to get the attention it deserves in official Washington. 

I showed over a year ago how this problem has been pushed under the rug since the early 90s.  So, while Representative Ed Royce's efforts are commendable, the problem is much deeper than even he realizes.  Not only are we dealing with an alliance of Islamic terrorist and drug dealers, but a professional force of largely Eastern Bloc special operatives hung out to dry because of the demise of the USSR and the Warsaw Pact. 

In this case, "embedded" is the correct term since these operatives have had over a decade to establish a politico-military infrastructure along the border.  Calling for hearings at this late date will not hinder these operations one iota. Executive action is required and so far, the President or his military chiefs have shown no stomach for protecting our sovereignty agaionst foreign aggressors.