Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved a Certification of Authorization (COA) for an unmanned aerial vehicle to patrol a portion of the U.S. Mexico border extending from Arizona to the El Paso region of Texas effective Tuesday, June 1, 2010. This is one of two COAs that have been submitted to FAA to approve the flights of unmanned aerial vehicles along the Texas-Mexico border. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) today joined southern border lawmakers and top security officials from the United States and Mexico to discuss the state of affairs between the two countries on Cinco de Mayo, a day which marks the historic triumph of the Mexican people over the French Army in the battle of Puebla in 1862. Congressmen Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) and Harry Teague (D-NM) hosted the Capitol Hill meeting between the group of border lawmakers and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Mexico Interior Secretary Fernandez Gomez-Mont, Mexico Ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhan, ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton and CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin. Read more »

Border Members of Congress, including Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), are urging the Speaker of the House to provide emergency funding to fight drug-related violence along the U.S. Mexico Border. In a letter signed by nine congressional members from Texas, Arizona, California and New Mexico, lawmakers call the recent upswing in border violence a demonstrated need for immediate funds to secure the border. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) returned late Wednesday from a senior congressional delegation visit to Mexico City for meetings with President Felipe Calderon and other high-ranking government officials to discuss the future of the Mérida Initiative, ongoing border security and the recent escalation in southern border violence along the Rio Grande. House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) led the delegation visit with Congressman Cuellar and Senior House Appropriations Committee member Congressman Ed Pastor (D-AZ). Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, today released a letter signed by the Congressional Border Caucus urging Senate leaders to swiftly confirm the President’s nominee to lead Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the wake of escalated Southern Border violence and the thwarted terrorist attack on Christmas Day Flight 253. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, has requested Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to move swiftly without delay in placing an unmanned aerial vehicle along the Texas-Mexico Border to help gather critical intelligence information to combat drug trafficking, weapons smuggling and potential terrorism threats. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), U.S. Census Director Dr. Robert M. Groves and Dallas Census Regional Director Gabriel Sanchez today visited the Border Colonias outside of Laredo, Texas, as part of a national campaign to raise awareness for the 2010 Census this spring. Congressman Cuellar and Director Groves will work together to monitor how the border region participates in the national Census this March. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) today announced that the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Bennie G. Thompson, has appointed him as the new Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism. Congressman Cuellar will leave his post as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response, but will retain his membership on that committee as he assumes his new leadership role. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response, today released the following statement as the United States provides additional response and recovery relief to Haiti. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) today joined President Felipe Calderón of Mexico, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and U.S. Congressman Ruben Hinojosa to officially open the Anzalduas International Bridge connecting the communities of Mission, Texas and Reynosa, Mexico across the Rio Grande. This new vehicular bridge is the closest international crossing point between Hidalgo County, Texas and Monterrey, Mexico. Read more »