Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) released the following statement on the recent move by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to test military-owned equipment as part of border security operations in the Rio Grande Valley: “As a Member of Congress representing a district along the U.S.–Mexico border, I applaud the work of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in creatively allocating… Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) released the following statement on the release of the Privacy Impact Assessment on Customs & Border Protection’s use of both manned and unmanned aircraft systems: “As a Congressman representing a district with over 300 miles of border, I applaud U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Privacy… Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) released the following statement on the nomination of Jeh Johnson as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security: “I congratulate Jeh Johnson for his nomination as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and applaud his selection by the Obama Administration.  I commend Secretary Janet Napolitano for her years of service keeping… Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) provided keynote remarks at the 23rd Annual Motor Vehicle Criminal Interdiction Training and Intelligence Sharing Meeting on August 13th in San Antonio.  “A career in law enforcement requires sacrifice, courage, and a dedication to serve others,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar. “The State of Texas has the longest stretch of the border with Mexico… Read more »

Today, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced its selection of the South Texas Consortium Assets (STAC) as one of only five public private partnerships that CBP is rolling out in ports of entry across the country.  The Consortium, which represents international bridges in Laredo, Rio Grande City, McAllen, Pharr, and Cameron County, will reimburse CBP to pay for additional… Read more »

Today, the Government Accountability Office released a report addressing efforts by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to address the issue of illegal visa overstays.  Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28), along with Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), Senator Susan Collins (I-ME), Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX18), and Congresswoman Candice S. Miller (R-MI10), requested the… Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28), along with other Members of the Border Caucus, including Reps. Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), Filemon Vela (TX-34), Beto O’Rourke (TX-16), and Pete Gallego (TX-23), today held a press conference to highlight the impact of the border region on the U.S. economy. Members discussed the points often ignored during the border security debate- including trade and… Read more »

Washington, D.C. – 25 JUL 2013 – Congressmen Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), Chairmen of the Congressional Unmanned Systems Caucus, welcomed representatives from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine (CBP-OAM) for a briefing on their current use of unmanned systems in support of border security and DHS’… Read more »

“As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am encouraged to see that both chambers in Congress have approved a plan to transfer $11.3 million toward Customs and Border Protection salaries and expenses, in order to avoid furloughs and continue to pay for administratively uncontrollable overtime (AUO) for FY 2013.  As lawmakers, it is our fundamental duty to ensure that… Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, released the following statement on the passage of the H.R. 2217, the FY 2014 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill: “This bill includes the hiring of 1,600 new CBP officers. Those are the men and women in blue that man our ports of entry. The addition of these 1,600 CBP officers will be a historic step in addressing the congested ports… Read more »