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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Says Department is Evaluating Adequacy of Resources and Personnel Assigned to Puerto Rico


Washington, DC- Today, in response to questions from Congressman Pierluisi, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, stated that the Department is examining whether its component agencies have deployed sufficient personnel, resources and assets in Puerto Rico to help combat drug-related violence on the Island. Pierluisi’s questions came during a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on the Department of Homeland Security.

Secretary Napolitano made the statement after Pierluisi posed a line of questions that highlighted the problem of drug trafficking in Puerto Rico and expressed concern about the sufficiency of the response from DHS’s component agencies.

Pierluisi noted that drug trafficking through Puerto Rico has increased in recent years.

“Many experts, including the U.S. Attorney in Miami, have recognized that, as the federal government curtails the flow of drugs across our Southwest border, drug trafficking organizations are increasingly turning to the Caribbean as an alternate means to get their products to end users in the United States,” he said.

“According to estimates provided to my office, approximately 80% of the South American cocaine that arrives in Puerto Rico is subsequently transported to the U.S. mainland. And the 20% of cocaine that remains in Puerto Rico for local consumption is the primary cause of the Island’s unacceptably high number of murders. I know you share my view that, from the federal government’s perspective, the violent death of an American citizen from Puerto Rico is of no less consequence than the violent death of an American citizen from Florida, New York, or any other state,” the Resident Commissioner added in remarks addressed to Secretary Napolitano.

Pierluisi underscored the need for the federal government to devote the necessary resources to help the Puerto Rico government fight drug trafficking on the Island.

“Yes, I am aware and I share your concern,” said Secretary Napolitano in response.

Recently, and also in response to Pierluisi’s questioning, the U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, and senior officials from the U.S. Coast Guard recognized the importance of devoting sufficient resources to combat drug-related violence in Puerto Rico. In April, the Resident Commissioner introduced legislation that would require the Department of Justice to establish a program to recruit, assign, and retain law enforcement officers in high-crime jurisdictions like Puerto Rico. This bill was unanimously approved July by the House Judiciary Committee in July.

According to Pierluisi, both the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security should increase the number of authorized positions in its component agencies in Puerto Rico and be more aggressive in their efforts to recruit and retain agents. Pierluisi has specifically cited the Drug Enforcement Administration’s vacancy rate in Puerto Rico, which stands at 20%, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s vacancy rate on the Island, which stands at 25%, according to the most recent figures provided to the Resident Commissioner’s office.