Harriet Hageman Questions Experts On How To Fight Against Cartels On Tribal Lands

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In a House Natural Resources Committee hearing before the Congressional recess, Rep. Harriet Hageman asked BIA experts how they aim to address the presence of cartels in Native American communities.

Transcript

00:00The gentlelady from Wyoming is now recognized for her five minutes.

00:04You know, this is one of the most serious issues we've dealt with since I've been in Congress,

00:09the Mexican drug cartels moving in on our reservations.

00:12I don't know if you've had the opportunity to review the testimony that has been provided

00:17over the last couple of years with this subcommittee.

00:21We've had two different hearings.

00:23I want to apologize to everyone in this room that this has devolved into focusing on something

00:28related to Jeffrey Epstein rather than the very serious issues that are before us in

00:34our efforts to protect our tribal members from the absolute catastrophe of the Biden administration's

00:41open border policies.

00:43We have heard about drug trafficking, human trafficking, drug smuggling.

00:48We have heard about addictions that make you cry as you sit here and listen to it.

00:54None of it has anything to do with the Epstein files or President Trump, but it has everything

00:59to do with protecting our tribal members and our communities from the scourge of violence

01:04related to the Mexican drug cartels.

01:07Mr. Garris, last year I questioned then Attorney General Garland about the DOJ's work to counter

01:12the cartel threat on tribal reservations.

01:17And I can tell you that it would be an understatement to say that I was disappointed in his response

01:22or the DOJ's efforts to protect our tribal members and reservations under his watch.

01:29In response to the testimony from tribes about this safety concern on their lands, Mr. Garland

01:35actually had the audacity to testify that this issue was Congress's fault and that the DOJ

01:41needed more money.

01:43Yet your testimony this afternoon covers several new task forces and policies that are helping

01:49to counter this threat.

01:50It seems then that this is one of policy and enforcement.

01:54Would you agree with me?

01:58I would agree.

01:59I think more resources, with more resources, we could do more too, ma'am.

02:03But Mr. Addington, we also know that the issue of tribal law enforcement is a very complex one.

02:09There are challenges with jurisdiction, recruitment, retention, and more.

02:14However, what is the BIA doing to address these longstanding issues which exacerbate the cartel

02:20presence on tribal reservations?

02:23Thank you for that question.

02:25What we're currently doing is examining our hiring practices right now to make sure we can

02:30get more boots on the ground.

02:33As you know, you know, Indian country law enforcement staffing our agencies has been a problem for many,

02:41many years, so trying to streamline the process to get more boots on the ground right now to address

02:48having more people addressing these problems is one of the things that we're focused on right now,

02:54as well as using the resources that we have and putting intelligence-led policing to work.

03:01You know, using the resources we have to better work smarter, not harder.

03:05So, when we do that, we make a bigger difference, as you can see from some of the operations that

03:11we've done.

03:11That's right.

03:12We're seeing success when we use the resources that we currently have and not having to, you

03:18know, continue to come up with new things to do, but just use the things that we have,

03:22we can make a difference.

03:23Okay.

03:24And I appreciate, I understand that both of you are making a commitment that this is a significant

03:29issue for you and you are going to do everything that you can to protect our tribal communities.

03:34Is that fair?

03:36That is absolutely correct.

03:39The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General released a report earlier this year

03:43which confirmed that the Biden administration lost track of over 330,000 unaccompanied migrant

03:51children, or UACs, over the last four years.

03:55Both Mr. Addington and Mr. Garrist, do we have any reason to believe that some of these UACs

04:00are on the reservations where the cartels operate as part of smuggling and trafficking

04:05chains or for other purposes?

04:07Have we been able to do any investigation related to whether we have UACs on these reservations?

04:12From the standpoint of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, we haven't got any intelligence to

04:19lead to us to believe that they are there, but we do when we're working these human trafficking

04:25operations, you know, they could be some of the people that we're looking for.

04:29We don't know that until we actually work the operations and start digging into where

04:33some of the victims come from.

04:35So were you aware of the fact that the Inspector General found that the Biden administration

04:39lost over 330,000 children that were brought across the border illegally?

04:44Were you aware of that fact?

04:46Yes.

04:46Okay.

04:47And so it's something that is on your radar that you need to be addressing as you're considering

04:51this specific issue in relation to the cartels moving in on our reservations?

04:56Absolutely.

04:57Wonderful.

04:59I guess that I'm going to be out of time.

05:01I very much appreciate the dedication that both of you bring to this issue.

05:05It is extremely important to this community and to this committee and to this Congress,

05:11and we appreciate what resources you are putting towards this.

05:16It is important for our tribal members and our reservations, our fellow citizens.

05:21So thank you.

05:22I think the gentlewoman...

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