Thank you, Jim.

Under the president's leadership and together with the State

Department and DHS, the Department of Justice stands ready to take the

fight to the Mexican drug cartels.

We're all concerned about the increased levels of violence in

Mexico. And we very much admire the courage and resolution of our

Mexican counterparts, who are bravely confronting these cartels in

their own backyard. And we're resolved to do everything we can to

work together, with them, to destroy these criminal organizations.

For more than a quarter century, U.S. law enforcement agencies

have recognized that the best way to fight the most sophisticated

criminal enterprises is through intelligence-based investigation, to

target the greatest threats.

Under the leadership of the Justice Department, the command and

control of La Cosa Nostra, which was once the most powerful organized

crime group operating, in the United States, has been effectively

dismantled, with many of its most senior leaders behind bars.

Built on this same approach and together with our Mexican

counterparts, the department's Mexican cartel strategy confronts those

cartels as criminal organizations rather than simply responding to

individual acts of violence.

That strategy is carried out by prosecutor-led, intelligence-

based task forces that bring together all DOJ and DHS and other

relevant law enforcement agencies, to disrupt and dismantle the drug

cartels through investigation, prosecution, extradition of their

leaders and the seizure and forfeiture of their assets.

As we've found with other large criminal groups, if you take

their money and lock up their leaders, you can loosen their grips on

the vast organizations that are used to carry out their criminal

activities.

Attorney General Holder and I are committed to taking advantage

of all department resources and those of associated agencies to target

the Mexican cartels. We will investigate and prosecute the criminals

who smuggle drugs, into the United States, and distribute and sell

them in our cities and towns. We will also investigate and prosecute

those who smuggle guns, bulk cash and contraband from the United

States to Mexico.

Just last month, the attorney general announced the arrest of

more than 750 individuals, on narcotics-related charges, under

Operation Xcellerator, a multi-agency, multi-national effort that

targeted the Mexican drug trafficking organization known as the

Sinaloa Cartel.

Through Operation Xcellerator, prosecutors and federal law

enforcement agencies, led by DEA, delivered a significant blow to the

Sinaloa Cartel by seizing $59 million, hundreds of firearms and more

than 12,000 kilograms of cocaine and 12,000 pounds of methamphetamine.

A similarly sweeping DOJ-led initiative against the Gulf Cartel,

announced in September 2008, called Project Reckoning, produced

similarly dramatic results.

The president has directed us to take action to fight these

cartels. And Attorney General Holder and I are taking several new and

aggressive steps, as part of the administration's comprehensive plan.

Those steps include the following.

DOJ's Drug Enforcement Administration, which already has the

largest U.S. drug enforcement presence in Mexico, with 11 offices in

that country, is placing 16 new DEA positions in southwest border

field operations, specifically to target Mexican trafficking and

associated violence.

The DEA is also deploying four new mobile enforcement teams to

specifically target Mexican methamphetamine trafficking, both along

the border and in U.S. cities impacted by the cartels.

DOJ's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is

increasing its efforts by adding 37 new employees in three new

offices, using $10 million in Recovery Act funds, and redeploying 100

personnel to the southwest border in the next 45 days, to fortify its

Project Gunrunner, which is aimed at disrupting arms trafficking

between the United States and Mexico.

ATF is doubling its presence in Mexico itself, from five to nine

personnel working with the Mexicans, specifically to facilitate gun-

tracing activity, which targets the illegal weapons and their sources

in the United States.

DOJ's Office of Justice Programs is investing $30 million in

stimulus funding to help state and local governments and law

enforcement combat narcotics activity, along the southwest border and

in high-intensity drug trafficking areas.

Additionally the state and local law enforcement in those areas

can apply for cops and Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, a total of 3

billion of which were provided in the stimulus package.

DOJ's Organized Drug Enforcement Task Force program or OCDETF is

adding personnel to its strike force capacity, along the southwest

border. And the FBI is stepping up its efforts in the region, by

creating a southwest intelligence group, focusing its activities --

increasing its focus on public corruption, kidnappings and extortion

related to the cartels' activities.

As the department did in dismantling La Cosa Nostra, these new

resources will build on the framework already in place to disrupt and

dismantle the Mexican drug cartels.

Madame Secretary, first for you, can you tell us, does this

effort suggest a shift in the thrust of the agency's mission, from

preventing terrorism to preventing the spread of organized crime?

And then for you, deputy secretary, if you could tell us,

statements by the Mexican president suggest that Mexico is a bit

miffed right now about some of the statements that have been made,

about Mexico, by this administration.

Is there a new commitment that Secretary Clinton is taking with her

when she goes to Mexico tomorrow? Thank you.

I think the secretary's trip is part of this

broader effort by the administration, really, from the beginning, to

demonstrate that we really see this as a critical partnership and one

that requires as much high-level attention as any bilateral

relationship that we have.

The president already developed his own ties with President

Calderon, and the fact that he will be making an early visit himself

to Mexico before the Summit of the Americas really represents the

importance that we attach to it.

The secretary, I think, really wants to stress that while we have

a critical set of issues that we need to deal with, in terms of law

enforcement, counter-narcotics, guns and the like, and the violence

problem, that we really value Mexico, (partnered ?) across the board

and the leadership that President Calderon has shown in being --

courageously taking on this challenge, which is vital to the well-

being of his own country but also across the board in showing

leadership in so many different areas.

And Mexico is stepping out not just in the hemisphere but

globally to play a big role in the G-20. It's showing great

leadership on the climate-change agenda, one of the first of the

recently emerged developing countries to take a major commitment to

reduce greenhouse gases.

So I think we want to give a very strong signal. And her visit,

I think, will emphasize the fact that we really appreciate this

remarkable leadership we're seeing from Mexico and the importance of

this partnership that we've been building.

I think a lot of people along the border, particularly in

Texas, who were hoping for a large influx of personnel are going to

look at the announcements today as pretty modest and incremental. How

do you assure those folks who were looking for hundreds or even

thousands of troops or border personnel that this is really going to

protect Americans and their security?

Can I follow up on that?

Can you explain, the $700 million interdiction, it's

additional to the Merida Initiative also ready?

So the five helicopters are the helicopters already

approved?

And Secretary Napolitano, the Secretary Gomez Mont that you

saw last week, after the meeting with you he gives the press

conference to the Mexico media and told that he found doubt on the

U.S. government intent of sharing intelligence with the Mexicans

because the -- the corruption at the high levels of government in

Mexico. Is that true? Can you explain why you have doubts in that?

Doubts of giving information, intelligence information, to

the Mexican authorities, because you have the problem of -- in Mexico,

has the problem of drug corruption at the high levels of the

government.

Why do you say you have doubts on shared information with

Mexico?

I have a question here. Mexico has always complained that

part of the reason they have this huge drug trafficking problem is

because of U.S. consumption of drugs here. So I was wondering if your

plan, you know, encompasses some sort of plan to fight against

consumption here. And on the other hand, restrictionist groups in the

U.S. have said that this is all the more reason why the border wall

needs to be completed. Can you tell us what's going on with the

completion of the wall along the border? Thanks.

Madame Secretary? You said that this is all that is taking

place right now. So we are to understand that the plans that you

detailed previously, that personnel, that new personnel is already

there in place or they will be moving into their positions --

And by when do you hope to have everything in place?

Yes, sir?

I believe that the Mexican government will not

fail. And I believe that our role is to assist in this battle,

because we have our own security interests in its success. But yes,

one of the things we do at the department is to plan for even the most

remote contingencies.

And we have those plans. But even to say it, I think, overestimates

the situation.

Several things: One is, first of all, you've

got to interdict the arms. You've got to stop them from going into

Mexico. That's why we're increasing the southbound inspections.

That's why we're moving the technology to the border to help with

screening going into the border. We're coordinating with Mexico

because they can do more by way of southbound screening on their side

of the border.

But then the Department of Justice, moving their agents down

there, as David said, and increasing tracing, that will help us

identify who are -- who is putting those arms into the arms, those

guns into the arms of the traffickers moving south.

And out of that, there can reasonably be seen more prosecution of

actual arms dealers who are intentionally and knowingly putting arms

into the hands of the smugglers.

So that is part of the reason why Department of Justice is such

an essential part of this initiative on Mexico.

Madame Secretary, what are the most compelling arguments

you've heard for and against sending National Guard troops to the

border? And what does Governor Perry need to tell you to convince you

to do what he is asking?

Thank you, guys.