DHS unveils beefed up antidrug efforts at border

Senior Obama administration officials on Tuesday announced new measures to fight drug cartels in Mexico, but the plans left some skeptics with more questions than answers. The administration is directing additional funding, personnel, technology and resources to the nation's southwest border in a major effort to help Mexico fight the cartels and stop violence from spilling over into the United States.

"I believe that the Mexican government will not fail," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters on Tuesday. "And I believe that our role is to assist in this battle, because we have our own security interests in its success."

The initiatives represent efforts by the departments of Homeland Security, Justice and State to take a coordinated approach toward the cartels. Tens of millions of dollars from the recently enacted economic stimulus bill will be put toward beefing up border control efforts, and the Homeland Security Department is expected to submit a budget reprogramming request to Congress soon. Congressional aides have previously said they also expect the administration to request even more funding to fight the cartels in the upcoming emergency supplemental funding request for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, although the exact amount is unknown. House Intelligence Chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, applauded the administration's new measures.

But some officials remain skeptical. Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said in an interview that applying more resources to cracking down on the cartels was a good idea, but the suggested measures were not new and appeared to be more of a short-range and knee-jerk reaction. He said that instead a comprehensive approach was needed. Law enforcement efforts to stop drug smuggling, gun running and money laundering are currently divided among different agencies, but should be placed under a central command, he added. House Judiciary ranking member Lamar Smith, R-Texas, questioned whether Homeland Security will be taking personnel and resources away from immigration enforcement efforts. "I am concerned that the redeployment may come at the expense of other critical law enforcement activities," Smith said in a statement. "The administration appears to be using border violence as an excuse to reduce interior enforcement of our immigration laws and enact gun restrictions."

The Obama administration is also still considering whether to send National Guard troops to the southwest border, Napolitano said. Texas Gov. Rick Perry recently said he wants either National Guard troops or more border agents. Napolitano said she will travel to Texas on Thursday to meet with Perry and ask him "specifically what he is thinking about with respect to Guard along the Texas-Mexico border."