School of War Ep 138: Joshua S. Treviño on the Southern Border Crisis
Aug 13, 2024
Joshua S. Treviño, Chief of Intelligence and Research at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, discusses the pressing issues surrounding the U.S. southern border. He emphasizes that immigration isn't the root problem but rather a symptom of broader security concerns. The conversation touches on historical conflicts in Texas and their ongoing impact on border dynamics. Treviño also highlights cartels as quasi-state actors and suggests reevaluating U.S.-Mexico relations through integrated security measures, citing historical cases like the Caroline Affair.
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Border Insecurity Resembles War Zones
- The U.S. southern border now feels like a place of insecurity more akin to the Middle East or parts of Africa.
- Joshua S. Treviño warns the Mexican state functions as an antagonist and a 'state-cartel synthesis' undermining border security.
Local Residents Describe Direct Cross-Border Violence
- Treviño recounts Americans in border towns experiencing direct violence: homes hit by 50-caliber fire and people held at gunpoint.
- A longtime landowner veteran asked him, 'Why won't the United States defend me now?'
Immigration Is A Trafficking Problem
- Immigration is misframed: the core issue is organized human trafficking, not individual migrants seeking work.
- Treviño calls it 'commerce in man' and part of broader national-security threats linking cartels and extra-hemispheric powers.