Bruce Westerman Decries 'Egregious' Damage To Tribal Lands Caused By Cartel Trafficking

3 months ago

During a House Natural Resources Committee hearing Tuesday, Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) spoke about damage to Native lands caused by illegal immigration.

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Transcript

00:00 This is a topic that's not getting nearly enough attention.

00:05 It's something that's come up in other hearings that we've had, but I think the American public needs to be made aware

00:11 of what's happening on our tribal lands.

00:14 It's happening all across our country, but especially the egregious things that are happening on the tribal lands here.

00:21 You know, we did a hearing in southern Arizona in Cochise County, and it was on damage to public lands and illegal immigration.

00:34 And Sheriff Mark Daniels there made a statement where he said, "It's not an immigration problem we have."

00:43 He said, "It's an organized crime problem."

00:46 And it got me really to thinking a lot about, you know, he's right.

00:52 This is Mexican cartels, and they're not just operating along the border in southern Arizona.

00:57 They're in Montana. They're in California.

01:00 They're all across our country, and the cartels have to have a presence to be able to cash in on the human trafficking

01:07 when they're basically enslaving people and forcing them into--

01:11 It's a massive problem that's not getting nearly enough attention.

01:16 But Chief Roberg, as you know, the cartels obviously present an extreme danger to Indian communities all across America.

01:25 Eradicating the cartels and their fentanyl from Indian country should be a major priority for the FBI and other federal law enforcement,

01:32 but we know this is not always the case.

01:35 How present is the FBI on Fort Belknap Reservation, and how would you describe your relationship with the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office,

01:44 which I believe covers your area?

01:47 Yes, Mr. Westerman.

01:49 We have a pretty good relationship with the FBI of the Salt Lake City Field Office.

01:55 We're mandated by federal law any felonious type offense--

02:00 I guess I wouldn't say any felonious type offense.

02:02 Any serious offense, murder, any unattended death, most drug-related crimes, we have to call or report it to the FBI.

02:15 Essentially what happens is I have my criminal investigator here sitting behind me.

02:21 He'll put the case together.

02:26 It's kind of in tandem with the FBI.

02:28 A lot of times he does it, hands it over to the FBI.

02:30 The FBI then does a cross memo, I believe, to submit that to the AUSA, and then they prosecute.

02:39 So we do have a pretty good working relationship with them, but as far as dangerous drugs go,

02:44 we use the BIA Drug Enforcement Division a little bit more because we're getting more results out of them.

02:51 It's hit or miss.

02:52 They take a reactive approach, the FBI, I'm speaking of, as far as proactive.

02:57 We had a hearing earlier this year, and a tribal leader was talking about death threats from the cartels.

03:07 You testified that there were four murders in three months in a community of 7,000 people,

03:15 and directly because of drugs coming from below or from the southern border.

03:23 Would you like to elaborate on that?

03:25 I'll elaborate. I apologize.

03:28 The four murders weren't as a direct cause and effect from drugs being trafficked across the southern border.

03:35 Our rise in violent crime and everything else is, from what we're seeing, if we track data,

03:44 it's caused from dangerous drug and drug trafficking.

03:50 I mean, we haven't seen this type of violent crime in a while.

03:53 With that, we haven't had a murder in years, and then all of a sudden this year,

03:58 with an uptick in fentanyl and methamphetamine, we have four of them.

04:01 I used a lot of time there, but Ms. Zinn, I found your testimony extremely compelling

04:07 because you have extensive experience working with tribes in Montana.

04:13 Can you describe some instances in which the DEA successfully worked with tribes

04:18 to dismantle cartel distribution networks?

04:22 Absolutely.

04:23 The last act when I was the head of DEA, that's what we worked with,

04:27 the large drug cartel that we took off throughout the state of Montana on the reservations.

04:34 They were coming from Omak, Washington, traveling to Flathead,

04:37 dropping off, going all the way to Great Falls, dropping off in Rocky Boy,

04:40 going up through Havard, dropping off in Fort Biltnap,

04:43 and then coming and laying their heads down in Crow Agency.

04:46 When we teamed up with FBI and BIA, we were successful in our investigation.

04:51 It took eight to 11 months to actually work.

04:54 We arrested, but I can actually say the Mexican cartel, the members that we arrested,

04:58 they were all illegals that had come across their southwest border.

05:02 The problem that we have is that some of them have fled,

05:05 and we hear the rumors that they're back into the United States,

05:08 but they're going to be under a new identification,

05:10 so we're going to be having to retrack that all over again.

05:14 I was going to ask you to identify any existing barriers that complicate DEA's mission

05:22 to eliminate illegal drug distribution and to prosecute drug traffickers.

05:26 It sounds like this new identification may be one of those barriers.

05:30 Are there other ones in Indian country?

05:32 Oh, absolutely.

05:33 We need more drug agents in Montana.

05:35 When I was saying we have four enforcement drug agents to cover Havard, Bozeman,

05:42 Ekalaka, Plentywood, four guys, can't do it, cannot do it.

05:48 Again, I'm way out of time, but thank you all so much for your testimony,

05:53 and this is something we have to follow up on.

05:56 I yield back, Mr. Chairman.

Bruce Westerman Decries 'Egregious' Damage To Tribal Lands Caused By Cartel Trafficking

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