Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff warns of border violence surge

Carolyn Hileman* | January 26, 2008

Filed Under Crime Criminals Justice, Immigration

WASHINGTON — Violence along the border with Mexico will likely increase this year as the administration bolsters Border Patrol staff and adds more fencing and technology to catch illegal immigrants, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Tuesday. Chertoff’s comments came after the death Saturday of Border Patrol Agent Luis Aguilar in California. Aguilar, a 32-year-old father of two, was hit by a Hummer driven by suspected drug smugglers as he tried to place spike strips in front of the escaping vehicle. Aguilar’s death has drawn attention to escalating violence on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico divide. Chertoff and other administration officials said the violence that claimed Aguilar’s life stems partly from heightened border security measures. And they said the agent’s death highlights the need to continue initiatives such as a fence, which has drawn stiff opposition from some border residents and officials.

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