CNN Lou Dobbs Tonight-Transcript
LOU DOBBS TONIGHT
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SCHIAVONE: U.S. Customs and Border Protection says that over the past decade there have been as many as 231 border incursions by Mexicans. Lawmakers say they're worried that terrorists will also adopt the same tactic to launch another attack on the U.S. Kitty?
PILGRIM: Thanks very much, Louise Schiavone. Thanks, Louise. Well joining me tonight from Washington D.C. is Texas Congressman Michael McCaul, who chaired today's hearings. And thanks very much for being with us, Sir.
MCCAUL: Thanks, Kitty.
PILGRIM: What do you think you accomplished today? I mean, this is a fairly confusing issue with people claiming that they are impostors or perhaps military. How do you sort this out? What do you think they are?
MCCAUL: Well as a former prosecutor, it's hard to get all the evidence, and that's what we're trying to do with these hearings, is find out what really happened. We've had over 200 incursions across our border.
We do know one thing, that the rate of violence has increased by 100 percent since last year. We had pictures and videotapes of Mexicans shooting across the border, throwing rocks lit on fire. It's a very violent situation down there. We had five deputy sheriffs testify that what they saw looked like military-style Humvees and military-style uniforms.
Now what we don't know is whether this was, in fact, the Mexican military or maybe cartel members buying off military or cartel members just wearing military-style uniforms. And those are all questions that we have on the committee and that we asked today.
PILGRIM: You know, in either case, this is a violation of U.S. sovereignty, no matter who these people are. You met with the Mexican ambassador to the United States today. What did he have to say about it?
MCCAUL: I did. I met with him before the hearing. He assured me that these were not Mexican military, that the Mexican government would offer any and all cooperation requested by the United States, including -- apparently they've identified four of the individuals in this videotape we've showed at the hearing today.
And I said if you capture them, we would want access to them. He assured me that the United States would have access to these individuals, because after all, they are the best evidence here in this case.
PILGRIM: Two hundred incidents. This is not a light thing. Do you think that by shining the spotlight on it, you'll actually get some action?
MCCAUL: I think so. I mean, it's an assault, not only on U.S. law enforcement, but our sovereignty. You know, they say they don't get but two to three miles to our border. We have pictures of them in the river in the Rio Grande.
So, I think it has raised the awareness of the issue. I think the Mexican government gets a bit -- you know what, Kitty? They've got to be cooperative and they've got to help us secure this border. And I think this sends a pretty strong message. This is kind of the camel that broke -- the straw that broke the camel's back, I should say -- an escalation of this kind of violence down on the border.
PILGRIM: Yes, that's totally unacceptable. And thank you for explaining it to us today and holding these hearings. Congressman Michael McCaul, thank you, Sir.
MCCAUL: Thanks, Kitty.
PILGRIM: Still ahead, more of your thoughts on our broken borders and saying thanks, but no thanks to Wal-Mart. Why one American businessman said no to the world's largest retailer and said it wasn't in his company's best interest to work with them. Stay with us.
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