Texas Attorney General Makes Plea to Obama After Cartel Members Attack Sheriff's Deputy

Special Guests: Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott




This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," November 3, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: President Obama just got a letter. He probably won't be wild about it. It's from the attorney general of Texas. What's in the letter? Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott joins here. Good evening, sir. You wrote the president a letter. Why? And what's in it?

GREG ABBOTT, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, Greta, this is a follow-up letter. I sent the president a letter last year when bullets struck a city hall in El Paso, Texas. And I warned the president at that time, if he didn't take action and do a better job of protecting the border, American blood would be shed.

Now I sent a follow-up letter, pointing out to the president that my prediction has come true, a shootout occurred on Sunday between operatives working for the gulf cartel and Hidalgo County, where they shot a sheriff's deputy who is still in the hospital right now.

But Greta, it's so important to understand, this is just one of the signs, one of several we have seen just this week, of the cartel operatives, operating much more extensively across the state of Texas. It is imperative for the president to step up, give us more manpower on the border if we are going to be able to keep our fellow Americans safe.

VAN SUSTEREN: You wrote the first letter June of 2010, so about a year and-a-half. Did you get a response in any form? And two, has there been any sort of increase in security on the border from the federal government after that letter and between them then and now?

ABBOTT: A long time after I sent that letter I did reply letter from a low-level operative from an office title I have never heard of before. With regard to the increased efforts we have seen and the manpower on the border, that has been slim and in inadequate. We have more than a 1,200- mile border with Mexico. We see on a daily basis these operatives working for the cartels or cartel members or cartel member who is are trying to reside in the state of Texas that is increasing constantly. The violence is increasing constantly. But the boots on the ground that we need and the resources we need from Washington are not here.

VAN SUSTEREN: I know the letter's dated November 3, the second one, and says, I implore to you aggressively confront this escalating threat. So have you obviously put it on the line for the president. The president, of course, out of the country, but I am sure he has his White House counsel or somebody. Do you have any reason to believe this one has been received, or is it en route to the White House? Where is this?

ABBOTT: It was received by the White House yesterday, when the letter, because was sent because we sent it electronically and by mail. So we know they have already received it.

But more importantly, we know that the president really understands the dangers that exist on the border, and by failing to step up and provide the resources and manpower we need to protect our fellow Texans and men and women up and down the border, he is turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to our pleas and our needs, and every time bloodshed occurs --

VAN SUSTEREN: Do you think he does that because, A, he doesn't agree with you, B, he thinks he's doing enough, C, there just isn't the manpower and the money? What is your thinking about why you don't have more?

ABBOTT: Well, first of all, Greta, whenever human lives are at risk, the government has to supply the manpower and the money. The primary reason for a government to exist is to protect the people. If the president does not have this as his top priority, he has his priorities out of order.

Secondly, he knows exactly what is to do, it is offense testify us when it came to El Paso, to declare the border near secure than it is ever been, he knew for a fact because he has better intelligence than vi, that the border is penetrated on a daily basis. If I know it, the president of the United States either does know it or he should know it, and he's failing to give us the resources that we are asking for and the resources we need.

VAN SUSTEREN: Attorney general, thank you. And I hope that the deputy sheriff gets better quickly and gets out of the history. Thank you, sir.

ABBOTT: Thank you, Greta.

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