Drug Smuggling on Texas Border

Re “Texas Border Ranchers Decry Drug Smuggling,” July 7: Thanks should go out to reporters Mark Fineman and Craig Pyes. I sincerely hope The Times sends them back out to our “compromised border” in six months to see what the U.S. government has done to solve the problem, now that the Drug Enforcement Agency has been “alarmed” by the message of local ranchers and law enforcement officials.

When is the public going to wake up to the fact that our border with Mexico is wide open to illegal immigration, drug smuggling and myriad other crimes associated with those activities? When is the public going to start holding those in local, state and federal offices responsible for the lawlessness described in south Texas? When is the U.S. going to accept the fact that Mexican officials have either been corrupted at the highest levels, or are simply inept in their “cooperative” efforts at stemming the flood of drugs and illegal immigrants into this country?

ERIC E. CASTANO

Palmdale

* Instead of sending our troops to Bosnia and Saudi Arabia to protect the peace and the integrity of their borders, we should be sending them to Eagle Pass, Tex., where, as you described it, a real invasion is underway and corruption for drug money on both sides is rampant. At least if the troops were wounded or, God forbid, killed, it would be on American soil.

Committee meetings and conferences are not going to resolve this problem. The problem has been already identified by the decent, responsible ranchers in south Texas who are attempting to defend their rights and property. It is the responsibility of the federal government to protect our borders and it is not being done.

Strong, immediate action by the United States and Mexican governments, using military force if necessary, is needed. Let’s quit walking a tightrope with each other and get on with the job! It wouldn’t be the first time we fought some battles down there. We had better wake up, and soon!

JOHN WITT

Temecula