Reinforcing the Border

Along with the designation of a new border czar, DHS is sending 1,180 DEA agents to 16 new outposts along the border. In addition, it will give the ATF $10 million more to track arms traffic, and will spend $700 million in 2009 alone to go after drug gangs operating along the border. Now that's a substantial change, much more so than last month's deployment of a couple hundred FBI and Border Patrol agents. Really, spending an extra $700 million on anti-drug operations in the States is far easier politically and promises to be far more fruitful than transferring $500 in helicopters to Mexico.