Senator Feinstein Urges that the Certification Process for Mexico be Suspended for Three Years

Washington, DC - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today praised Mexican President Vicente Fox for his efforts to combat drug trafficking and urged the Congress to approve legislation to suspend the certification process for Mexico for three years.

Citing Mexico's recent extradition of more than a dozen drug kingpins and traffickers, Feinstein said, "The Fox Administration has made more progress in the war against drugs over the last six months than the Government of Mexico made over the previous nine years."

But because other countries have not demonstrated the same resolve , Senator Feinstein does not support suspending the certification process for all nations.

The following is the prepared text of her speech:

"Mr. President, I rise to welcome Mexican President Vicente Fox to the United States.

Because I have, in the past, been critical of Mexico's efforts to stop drug trafficking; their inability to prevent the laundering of drug money; their refusal to extradite a single Mexican national on drug charges; and the widespread corruption within the ranks of Mexican law enforcement, I felt I should come to the floor now to say that recent reports I have received indicate that there has been a dramatic change in Mexico.

In fact, it looks as if President Fox is responsible for an entire new attitude on the part of his country in the fight against drugs. I want to take a few moments to commend him, and to say how important this is to the United States, and to the people of this country.

We all recognize that we have a demand problem in the United States - as a matter of fact, there is a growing demand problem in Mexico as well. Nevertheless, the flood of narcotics across the border represents a major problem to both our nations.

The flow of drugs brings with it collateral problems in the United States and in Mexico - violence, corruption within law enforcement, and even, as we have seen, the brutal torture and murder of public officials, judges, prosecutors, journalists and any who dare to cross the cartels. It is fair to say that these major consequences of the drug trade require that we solve this problem together.

Put simply, the Fox Administration has made more progress in the war against drugs over the last six months than the Government of Mexico made over the previous nine years. I would like to share some examples of the progress made by the Mexican government through the leadership of this brave new President.

EXTRADITION:

Prior to the Fox Administration, not one major Mexican National drug cartel member had ever been extradited to the United States on drug charges - not one. Since President Fox took office, however, this has changed dramatically.

First, after years of court battles, earlier this year the Mexican Supreme Court ruled that Mexican nationals could indeed be extradited to the United States.

Since January, 14 fugitives have been extradited to the United States from Mexico. Four of these individuals were Mexican nationals, and three of them - for the first time - were Mexican nationals extradited on major drug charges.

•The defendant in the Supreme Court case - Everardo Arturo "Kitty" Paez Martinez - is a key member of the Arellano Felix cartel. Mr. Paez was wanted for years, and in May Mexico finally turned him over to the United States.

•Miguel Angel Martinez-Martinez, an accused drug trafficker, was extradited and is awaiting trial in San Diego. Martinez is a principal figure in the Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman Organization. This Sinaloa-based cartel is believed responsible for smuggling tons of cocaine and other illicit narcotics into the United States over many years, and for trying to build a 1,452-foot tunnel from Tijuana to Otay Mesa in California.

•And Francisco Rafael Camarena Macias has also been sent to the United States. He was responsible for successfully building a tunnel between Agua Prieta, Sonora and Douglas, Arizona, through which up to 2 tons of cocaine flowed every day.

Extradition has always been the most visible and effective sign of how seriously the Mexican government is taking this fight against the drug cartels. It is not easy for the Government of Mexico to target these individuals and send them to the United States for trial. It is difficult politically - many within Mexico do not believe that Mexican citizens should face trial in the United States.

And it is difficult for personal safety reasons, as well. One example of this is that the lawyer that represented Everardo Arturo Paez in opposing his extradition for three years, finally failed and was found murdered. And others who have helped may well be in personal jeopardy as well.

So President Fox's leadership has given the entire country new courage to stand against the cartels, their killers, and traffickers.

DISMANTLING CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS:

In addition to extraditing those already under arrest, the Mexican government has also made new arrests of certain leaders of these major cartels.

•Adan Amezcua, one of the three Amezcua brothers, was arrested in 1997 but freed by a corrupt judge who has since been fired from the bench. Amezcua was re-arrested by Mexican officials in May. The Amezcua brothers are major meth traffickers, and responsible for the introduction of methamphetamines to this country - indeed, this cartel still runs meth labs throughout the United States.

•In cooperation with the DEA, the former Governor of Quintana Roo, Mario Villanueva, was arrested May for major drug crimes and sent to a maximum-security prison in Mexico.

•And in February, the government dismantled an entire cell of the Arellano Felix cartel by arresting seven of its leaders and seizing 8 houses, 18 vehicles, and 19 firearms and communication devices.

SEIZURES:

Seizures of illegal drugs have been on the rise as well, and in many cases are near or even at all-time highs.

•In February the Mexican government seized more than 14 tons of marijuana in cookie boxes in a routine highway inspection;

•In April, the Mexican Government seized 131 tons of marijuana.

•In February, the vessel "Forever My Friend" was seized with 8.8 tons of cocaine on board outside Guerrero, Mexico. The ship, cocaine and ten crew members were transported to San Diego.

•In May, a vessel under the Belize flag was seized with 12 tons of cocaine on board - the largest seizure ever on the high seas.

•Overall, more than 24 tons of cocaine have been seized from fishing vessels as a result of cooperation between Mexican and U.S. assets.

FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION:

And the Mexican government has also addressed the serious issue of internal corruption:

•Luis Rey Abundis Murga, Captain of the Mexican army, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for assisting the Carillo Fuentes cartel.

•Retired General Jorge Mariano Maldanado Vega was sentenced to 26 years for aiding the same organization;

•And Mario Silva Calderon, former agent of Mexico's national police, was sentenced to 36 years in prison for similar activity.

CONCLUSION:

As Donnie Marshall, former head of the DEA, testified before the Drug Caucus earlier this year, no one country can possibly combat the wealth and sophistication of the major drug trafficking organizations.

Only by cooperating and sharing locally-gathered intelligence and assets can we hope to succeed. That is why I am so encouraged by the progress being made by the Fox Administration.

In the past, I know that some members of law enforcement on both sides of the border felt that the other side could not be trusted. Now, finally, that is changing. A recent New York Times article highlighted a new 117-member Mexican organized crime unit, which works hand-in-hand with the DEA and has fostered new relationships and trust between the law enforcement agencies of our two nations.

It is only with this type of cooperation that we can hope to defeat the drug cartels and stem the flow of illegal drugs onto our streets. Before I yield the floor, I'd like to address one request President Fox made earlier today, regarding passage of Senate Bill 219, the Dodd certification legislation.

Let me be perfectly clear. I support the certification process, but I would also be prepared to support suspending that certification process with regards to Mexico only for three years. I believe the clear signs of progress made by President Fox, and the new spirit of cooperation between our two nations, merit such a suspension. As a result, I would be pleased to work with my colleagues to pass such legislation immediately.

I am not, however, prepared to entirely abandon the certification process with respect to all countries, as S.219 would do. There are many places in the world where progress has not been made in the war against drugs - Iran, Syria, Burma, and Afghanistan are just a few examples of continuing problem countries. Only a robust certification process gives Congress and the President the tool we need to encourage change in those nations.

I would therefore urge the Senator from Connecticut to work with me on a compromise that addresses only Mexico, so we can move forward on this issue.

Mr, President, in closing I would again welcome President Fox to the United States, and I look forward to working with him in our continuing, mutual fight against the drug war, which costs both our countries so very much.

I yield the floor."

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