January 24, 2008

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

First of all, I would like to wish you the very best in 2008, with hopes that your year is filled with good health and prosperity. The first month of 2008 hasn’t even come to an end and it’s clear that this year is going to be a busy and, I hope, a productive time for both Mexico and the United States.

Within the United States and the international community concern about the American economy is a prime topic of discussion. President Bush has made clear that “to keep our economy growing and creating jobs, Congress and the administration need to work to enact an economic growth package as soon as possible.” The President’s plan has received early bi-partisan support and I hope that Congress acts quickly to stimulate growth to keep a fundamentally strong economy on the right track.

On January 1, 2008, the final implementation phase of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was completed, liberalizing trade in the most sensitive agricultural products. Given the importance of this milestone, Senior U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) officials along with high-level representatives from SAGARPA and the Mexican Secretariat of the Economy made it a priority to schedule a meeting of the Consultative Committee on Agriculture early in the year.

The meeting, held in Mexico City the week of January 7, focused on reaffirming our commitment to NAFTA and setting a roadmap for the future, with the objective of increasing the competitiveness of North American agriculture. The presence of three of USDA’s Under Secretaries underscored the importance of the relationship and allowed for progress on some of the technical, regulatory and food safety issues that have been hindering the free flow of agricultural products across the U.S.– Mexico border.

Both sides agreed that special programs initiated last year to address issues in the corn and bean sectors should be continued and strengthened. Delegates also agreed to the formation of a new working group to address special issues in the livestock and animal products sectors.

Promoting crossborder trade is important to me so I’d like to inform you about upcoming events in the coming month, starting with Expo Vacaciones USA, February 11-13, 2008, in Mexico City. Expo Vacaciones USA is the biggest travel and tourism show in Mexico that exclusively promotes U.S. travel and tourism destinations and service companies in Mexico. This event, targeted at key travel and tourism wholesalers, travel agents, and travel journalists in Mexico, provides the latest information on travel destinations in the United States.

To learn more about this event please visit: www.expovacacionesusa2008.com or contact Mr. Juan Carlos Ruiz at juancarlos.ruiz@mail.doc.gov.

On February 13, the U.S. Consulate's Commercial Service in Guadalajara is hosting an important conference on "Doing Business with the United States." This conference, focusing on Mexican importers, will feature panels on the legal aspects of doing business with U.S. firms, as well as export logistics, and export financing available to Mexican importers of U.S. goods.

On February 25-26, there will be a Program on Entrepreneurial Growth (PEG) Symposium --a collaborative effort of the Kaufman Foundation, the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) and the U.S. Department of Commerce -– that will bring together Mexican and U.S. entrepreneurs, educators and policy makers to discuss collective actions that can be taken to promote entrepreneurship in Mexico. The PEG symposium will raise awareness in entrepreneurship challenges and opportunities. The anticipated result of the symposium is an ongoing pro-entrepreneurship initiative in Mexico that will be implemented through the creation of an entrepreneurship working group and the development of recommendations to improve the educational and regulatory environment for entrepreneurs in Mexico. The venue for this symposium is pending confirmation, but I will keep you posted on updated information.

On February 26-28, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, in cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service, is sponsoring the “U.S. and Mexico: Building Partnerships in Infrastructure Conference” to be held in Mexico City. This conference will promote U.S.-Mexican business partnerships to identify infrastructure opportunities in President Felipe Calderón’s visionary National Infrastructure Plan. The conference will also highlight priority projects from Mexico’s 2007-2012 National Infrastructure Plan to promote closer commercial ties and real business opportunities in the transportation, energy and environmental sectors. Participants will include senior Mexican government representatives, Mexican project sponsors, financial institutions and leaders from the U.S. and Mexican business communities to discuss priority projects in Mexico, offering unique and valuable opportunities for all involved.

Please see the agenda and register online here.

On January 15 and 16, U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey visited Mexico City at the invitation of Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora. During his trip Attorney General Mukasey noted that due to the importance of our bilateral law enforcement relations, it was no coincidence he was making his first foreign official visit to Mexico. While meeting with his Mexican counterparts, he specifically recognized our joint responsibility in fighting transnational crime and expressed his deep appreciation for the sacrifices being made by Mexico in this effort. Among other topics, U.S. Attorney General Mukasey and Mexican government officials had discussions about increased cooperation against drug trafficking, arms trafficking, trafficking in persons, illicit assets and fugitives.

Conversations about drug-related violence continued during the visit by Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), both members of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, on January 20-21.

These Congressional members paid an official visit to Mexico on a Committee fact-finding mission to better understand the Merida Initiative and its implications for shared Mexican-U.S. security. Representatives Cuellar and McCaul started off their visit with a trip to Matamoros, Tamaulipas on January 21, where they met with state and local officials, as well as business community leaders. On January 22, in Mexico City, they were received by President Calderon at Los Pinos.

They also met with Mexican legislators and other senior officials, including Foreign Relations Secretary Patricia Espinosa, Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora, and Under Secretary for Strategy and Police Intelligence at the Public Security Secretariat (SSP) Patricio Patiño.

Sadly, 2008 began with an eruption of violence near the border which has sparked increased concerns about safekeeping our communities. The recent escalation of drug-related violence near the U.S.-Mexico border emphasizes the importance of open communication about our shared security challenges and moving forward with the Merida Initiative.

During the weekend of January 12-13, 30 presumed Gulf Cartel enforcers, Zetas, were arrested in aggressive operations in Coahuila and Campeche. On January 21 the Mexican Armed Forces, Attorney General’s office and other law enforcement authorities achieved a significant victory by detaining Alfredo Beltran Leyva, one of the Sinaloa Cartel’s top drug traffickers, and three of his cohorts. On the following morning, January 22, three commando operatives from the Pacifico Cartel and 11 individuals linked to the Sinaloa Cartel were arrested, and high-caliber armaments were seized, in Mexico City.

Click here to read more about the Beltran Leyva arrest.

Unfortunately, many criminals are still terrorizing innocent Mexican communities. On January 8, three Mexican federal agents were attacked and killed by narco-traffickers in Reynosa, only 10 miles away from Rio Bravo. On January 7, soldiers and drug traffickers engaged in large-scale combat in Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas resulting in 17 deaths, including four children.

Despite the personal risks involved, brave Mexican authorities continue to seek out those responsible for this drug-related violence. The recent arrests of Beltran Leyva and the Zetas demonstrate once again the ongoing commitment of President Calderon and his administration to hit the criminal organizations where it hurts. When Mexico takes these dangerous criminals off the streets, the people of the United States also benefit. Our continued commitment to working with our Mexican government and law enforcement partners in the battle against these outlaws is stronger than ever, and together we will succeed in taking our streets and communities back for the citizens of both our nations. We are extremely grateful to the Calderon administration and Mexican authorities for their decisive actions to increase the security on both sides of our border.

On a personal note I’d like to thank all of the Mexican authorities involved in the capture and arrest of Jesus Navarro Montes in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora on January 23. Navarro Montes is believed to be responsible for running over and killing a U.S. Border Patrol Agent on the Baja California-Yuma, Arizona border last Saturday, January 19. Navarro Montes, a presumed human trafficker, has an arrest warrant pending in Mexicali, Baja California. During the investigation into the Border Patrol Agent murder, Mexican authorities seized a large quantity of materials and technology used to produce U.S. entry documents, along with drugs and vehicles. It is critical that law enforcement officials on both sides of the border know they have our governments’ support to go after anyone that attempts to do them harm and that the U.S. and Mexico are prepared to bring such criminals to justice.

Lastly, I am excited to tell you about two Mexican art programs for rural children that will receive awards from First Lady Laura Bush during a ceremony at the White House on January 28, 2008. I am very pleased to extend my congratulations to the "Programa de Niños y Jóvenes Huapangueros de Querétaro" implemented in the Huasteca region by the Instituto Queretano de la Cultura y las Artes, and the "Centro Cultural San Francisco Tzacalha," a civil association based in Dzidzantún, Yucatán who will be receiving the Coming Up Taller Award.

The funding for the awards was generously provided by the Comex Group and Fundación Coca-Cola. The Coming Up Taller Awards -- this year celebrating its Tenth Anniversary -- showcase cultural excellence and recognize individuals and organizations who are instrumental in bringing the benefits of the arts and humanities to underserved children and youth. Every year, 15 awards of $10,000 dollars each are presented to Coming Up Taller Award Finalists and Certificates of Excellence are given to Semifinalists. Mexico and China are the only other countries outside of the U.S. that send nominees for the award.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to share with you information about the important bilateral relationship between Mexico and the United States. May God bless both our great nations.

Sincerely,

Antonio O. Garza, Jr.

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