Texas Rep. Blasts Calls For Border Wall While FBI Fights Corruption In Rio Grande Valley


Texas Rep. (D) Henry Cuellar blasted the idea of a southern border wall, explaining that there’s too much economic “interconnection” over the Rio Grande. At the same time, the FBI is engaged in a massive operation in the Rio Grande Valley to end corruption, which is rampant thanks in part to relaxed or undermined security.

According to PJ Media, Rep. Henry Cuellar spoke out against a border wall — like the one proposed by presidential candidate Donald Trump — at the Building a Competitive U.S.-Mexico Border conference.

“The Rio Grande doesn’t divide but actually unites us. There’s some people that see it a different way. They want to see the Rio Grande as a division. They want to see a wall and it’s just unfortunate they have that perspective. They don’t understand the interconnection we have with Mexico.”

Cueller went on to make the case for the economic gains from trade over the border.

“Six million American jobs have been created here because of Mexico and people just don’t understand the economics, but they will see the security part and that’s all they see.”

Nevertheless, the current situation creates an environment where illegal trade also flourishes. Senator Ron Johnson claimed that only 5 to 10 percent of all illegal drugs get stopped by border protection in the southwest, despite spending $25 billion a year on security.

NPR recently looked at the issue in-depth, giving some indications about how the drug trade gets around the protection, describing the Rio Grande Valley of Texas as a place “steeped” in corruption.

Last year, the FBI started a massive special task force investigation to try and put an end to some of the illicit activity — which includes drug smuggling, vote stealing, courthouse bribery, under-the-table payoffs and health care fraud.

The FBI’s supervisory special agent Rock Stone explained the problem.

“The public’s perception is that the problem is inordinately grave and that it is worse here than other places. We’re being very vocal and very public about the fact that [public corruption] is wrong, it is immoral, and you’re betraying the public’s trust.”

The Rio Grande Valley, commonly known for undocumented immigration, is now home to bank branches, ritzy hospital complexes, and luxury homes.

Where is the money from?

Estimates vary, but the Valley is dependent on illegal activities for at least 5 to 20 percent of its economy.

Sociologist Chad Richardson explained that dirty money regularly makes it into the hands of public officials, including judges, sheriffs, and border security personnel.

As a result, 83 public officials in the Rio Grande Valley have been convicted of federal crimes in 2013 — more than any other region in America. Authorities have also thrown five sheriffs into prison over the past two decades.

The connectivity Rep. Henry Cuellar described is quite different from the kind the FBI is hunting after. NPR reports that agribusiness and plenty of other legitimate economic activities also support the Valley. Still, when combined with the heated politics behind undocumented immigration, those factors make the Rio Grande a complex situation for lawmakers and voters alike.

[Image Credit: Getty Images]

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