Obama’s Merida Initiative Funded Mexico’s Southern Wall, Now It Should Fund Ours.

The U.S. Department of State website boasts that the Merida-Initiative has been a primary money funneling pipeline for Mexican government officials to get their hands on U.S. taxpayers funds, in exchange for cooperative efforts at reducing criminal activity and cartel violence. Yes you read that right, U.S. taxpayers give money to the Mexican government in order to get them to fight the cartels. The same cartel violence and corruption that Mexican government officials claim is the reason they encourage illegal immigration to the U.S…. we are already paying them to snuff out.

“The Merida Initiative is an unprecedented partnership between the United States and Mexico to fight organized crime and associated violence while furthering respect for human rights and the rule of law. Based on principles of common and shared responsibility, mutual trust, and respect for sovereign independence, the two countries’ efforts have built confidence that is transforming the bilateral relationship.”

As the debate rages over “whose paying for Trump’s wall” many Americans are ignorant to the fact that we’ve already helped Mexico pay for their southern wall. As liberals continue to claim that border enforcement is inherently racist and xenophobic, we’re already paying for Mexico to enforce their border and control their immigration (which is much stricter than in the US).

Here is a list of the services American tax payers already fund for the Mexican government under the Merida Initiative.

Mexico’s implementation of comprehensive justice sector reforms is supported through training justice sector personnel, including: police, investigators, prosecutors, and defense counsel; correction systems development; judicial exchanges; and support to Mexican law schools –in support of Mexico’s on-going transition to a new accusatory criminal justice system.

Police capacity building courses for Mexican law enforcement including crime investigation, criminal intelligence, professionalization, tactics and firearms, forensics, strategic analysis, and specialized training for anti-corruption, anti-gang, anti-trafficking in persons, anti-money laundering, and anti-kidnapping units.

The establishment of anti-corruption programs that include vetting of police personnel, establishment of citizen-observer booths to inform and advise crime victims of their rights, and the creation of trained internal affairs units.

Ongoing engagement with the Government of Mexico and civil society to promote the rule of law and build strong and resilient communities to increase the knowledge of, and respect for, human rights; to strengthen social networks and community cohesion; to address the needs of vulnerable populations (youth and victims of crime); and to increase community and government cooperation.

Air mobility of Mexican police forces through the delivery of specialized aircraft and training for pilots and technicians to enable the Government of Mexico to confront criminal organizations that try to leverage difficult terrain.

Training and equipment to enhance the Mexican government’s ability to detect illicit goods at internal checkpoints and ports of entry.

Delivery of over 400 canines trained in the detection of narcotics, weapons, explosives, ammunition, currency, and human remains to Mexican federal agencies, including the Federal Police, the Office of the Attorney General, and Customs.

Establishment of a secure, cross-border telecommunications system between ten U.S. and Mexican border sister cities to provide public security forces on both sides of the border with the capability to request and exchange information on active criminal investigations.

Interagency task forces incorporating trained personnel from municipal and state police and state attorney general offices in key Mexican states to better share information, develop actionable intelligence, and foster greater coordination in law enforcement operations.

Support for efforts by Mexican prisons working to achieve independent accreditation from the American Correctional Association (ACA). To date, 42 Mexican facilities are accredited by ACA.

The establishment of Drug Treatment Courts across five Mexican states. These highly-specialized courts approach addiction as a public health issue and provide a viable alternative to incarceration for drug abusers.

The Bush and Obama administrations had American tax payers footing the bill for all of this, and now Democrats are suddenly acting concerned about allocating funds to secure our own border.

The first paragraph in the Dept. of State’s Merida Initiative description states that it’s based on “common and shared responsibility, mutual trust, and respect for sovereign independence”. Considering Mexican President Enrique Nieto’s reluctance to address his own citizenry’s disrespect for America’s border sovereignty, and in some instances encouraging them to illegally enter America. It’s safe to say the Mexican government has failed to respect our independent sovereignty and has continually violated mutual trust.

Over the past 8 years, the Merida Initiative used 2.5 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars to appease Mexican officials and stem cartel violence just enough to keep Americans from vehemently demanding a more secure border. Many of the Merida Initiative services provided to Mexico centered around shared duties in combatting cartel activity and controlling immigration from Central America.

It is fair to question the sincerity in which the Mexican government honors the Merida Initiative. They get free money from America for enforcing laws they should already be enforcing themselves. They get free money from U.S. taxpayers to secure their southern border, while disingenuously condemning our desire to do the same as “racist”.

With Obama gone, and Trump in office, it’s time to try a new plan. It’s time to try a new tactic, one that puts American borders first. Rather than paying corrupt governments to combat “criminal activity”, we need to protect ourselves, our borders, and our economy. The 2.5 Billion spent over the past 8 years has done nothing to make America safer, it has done nothing to earn the appreciation and respect of the Mexican people. In fact, it’s fair to assume that many politicians and bureaucrats in Mexico actually benefit financially from US funds going to Mexico under the Merida Initiative.

If America was able to secure its southern border from cartel violence, drug and human trafficking, and illegal migration from central America, there would be little reason to keep sending these funds to the Mexican government. They know this, they know there is little incentive for them to support America’s interest in securing it’s own borders.

Yet we are still told that nothing can be done about the influx of illegals. We are still told that it’s America’s fault that so many Central Americans and Mexicans break the law and sneak into our country. We are told that these immigrants are coming from unbearable places with horrid living conditions… yet we’ve spent billions in aide and nothing has changed… because the leaders of Mexico and some Central American countries know that they don’t have to change.

That’s what President Trump wants to change. The mentality that assumes America will pay to fix our problems, so long as our problems affect America. If American resources and American efforts are focused on securing our own border, the issues of cartel violence and Central American migration will have to be addressed within their own countries, or else they will lose complete control.

It’s not hard to figure out, Mexican officials know full well that if America can effectively protect itself from their cartels, corruption, and unlawful migration, they will no longer receive the funds to “assist” with such issues. They will no longer be able to line their pockets while taking half-ass measures.

No longer should Americans be held hostage by Mexico with threats of “unleashing waves of illegals” if we don’t subsidize their corrupt government. No longer should Americans be told that securing their borders is too costly, and rooted in racism. The cost of not securing our borders is continuing the status-quo, throwing tax payer money away on corrupted officials, and throwing tax payer money away on social services for those who illegally enter America.

The Merida Initiative, carried out by former President Obama Congress “appropriated nearly $2.5 billion for Mexico, including 22 aircraft.” A Democrat majority congress had no problem continuing with that sort of spending in 2008, but fast-forward to 2017 and those Democrats (ones not voted out by now) are screaming “racism, xenophobia” at the idea of securing our own border from the same corruption, cartels, and illegal immigration.

Here’s a long video exhibiting just how Mexican officials have scammed American taxpayers out of 2.5 billion. They ask for more help (money), knowing full well that they have intentions of solving the problem.