JOHN KERRY PANEL TO HOLD EL PASO HEARING ON MEXICO DRUG WAR

EL PASO -- Members of a U.S. Senate committee headed by former
presidential candidate John Kerry are coming to El Paso for a closer
examination of the drug war in Mexico that so far has taken 2,000
lives in Juarez alone.

Kerry, D-Mass., and two other members of his Senate Foreign Relations
Committee will be in El Paso on Monday for a public hearing on
U.S.-Mexico border violence. Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and John
Barrasso, R-Wyo., will accompany him. The committee, which has 18
members in all, helps shape U.S. foreign policy.

U.S Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, a man intimately familiar with the
border, will join the senators.

Kerry said senators would visit El Paso because of the magnitude of
the drug war and its fallout.

"The drug-related violence at the border has sent shock waves through
both countries, and we need to increase cooperation between the United
States and Mexico to combat it before it reaches a tipping point," he
said in a statement. "President Calderon has bravely taken on these
lawless cartels at great cost to his government and the Mexican
people. We have a responsibility on our side of the border to work
more closely with our Mexican counterparts to stem the flow of weapons
from the United States and deal with a drug problem festering for decades."

The war among Mexican drug cartels that began in January 2008 has
killed more than 6,000 people. The U.S. Congress voted last year to
spend $1.4 billion to help Mexico in its fight against the drug lords.

This money is being used to change Mexico's legal system, while at the
same time providing the government with new technology and
crime-fighting equipment.

U.S. involvement and spending on the war have put a tighter focus on
border violence. President Barack Obama has met with Calderon once and
will meet with him again next month. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton on Wednesday traveled to Mexico for a two-day visit.

Reyes, who is the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence, plans to visit Mexico in the coming weeks. Last week he
hosted a border conference in America's capital that centered on the
violence in Mexico.

"While I am pleased that Congress has held hearings on Mexico's
drug-related violence in Washington, D.C., it is imperative that our
top congressional leaders get a firsthand account of the situation on
the ground," Reyes said. "This hearing will provide El Pasoans a
unique opportunity to watch their government in action on an issue
that has a direct impact on our community."

Frederik Jones, spokesman for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
said Kerry wanted to have the hearing in El Paso for a simple reason:
El Paso and Juarez are considered ground zero when it comes to the
violence.

To regain control of Juarez, the Mexican government has sent more than
8,000 soldiers and federal police officers to patrol its streets. The
city's police department is being directed by a retired Mexican army
general.

"This violence is a very important issue for the U.S. right now,"
Jones said. "It is important because it affects the national security
of America."

Jones said Kerry would offer specific policy ideas while in El
Paso.

"He has his ideas on how the U.S. can help Mexico, but he doesn't want
to discuss them until he gets to El Paso," Jones said.

Among those scheduled to testify before the Senate committee are
Ricardo Garcia Carriles, former Juarez director of public safety, and
El Paso District Attorney Jaime Esparza.

Make plans

Sens. Kerry, Corker and Barrasso's public hearing on border violence
will start at 8 a.m. Monday at the Tomas Rivera Conference Center in
the UTEP"Union, East Wing.