Mexican Violence and The Fence
American Border Patrol Will Show Link

American Border Patrol -- October 21  At left, tire tracks leading off Mexican Highway 2 heading north. At right, New fence constructed just north of Mexican Highway 2.      In 2006 there were 1410 drug-related killings in Mexico. The next year that had almost double to 2673.      This year the killings may exceed 4,000. Now, a new report under development by American Border Patrol points to a direct linkage between border enforcement and the Mexican drug wars.     The report utilizes aerial surveillance of the border performed by ABP between the middle of 2006 and the fall of 2008. According to Glenn Spencer of ABP, long stretches of the border that were wide open to drug smugglers in 2006 are now protected by fences and vehicle barriers. "Our report will include video footage with comments by the air crew as to the thousands of tire tracks leading from Mexico into the United States, crossing a completely open border," Spencer said. Spencer said footage taken in late September shows many of these smuggling corridors to be blocked by fencing and vehicle barriers. "It only makes sense that barriers erected across smuggling routes would cut down smuggling and the income of the drug cartels." Spencer added. The report will be available online on Monday, October 27.