By Racquel Rendon, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau
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McAllen, Texas - As Arizona fights to protect its borders, another border state, Texas supports the new immigration law due to increased drug wars.

McAllen, Texas is only a fifteen minute drive to the Mexican city of Reynosa.  Filipinos who used to go across the border to buy medicine and alcohol are now afraid to go to Mexico.

Harry Escabarte works as a nurse. He said, “I used to visit there to buy medicines and alcohol because they’re cheap. But it’s chaotic there right now. I have to say no whenever invited to go to Mexico to buy something.”

Harris Tan who also works as a nurse added, “A lot of people are afraid to go to Mexico.”

Since Sunday, eight people have died as a result of drug violence near the border.

Filipinos in the Rio Grande Valley say the cost of medicine in Mexico is almost 50 percent cheaper than in the U.S.  But now they would rather pay more than risk being caught in the cross -fire.

The violence has gotten so bad that even the McAllen City Mayor Richard Cortez discourages residents from going across the border.

Cortez said,” I would not recommend anybody traveling by car to Mexico.”

Over 20,000 people have been killed since 2006 as a result of the fight between powerful drug cartels in border states.

McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said, “The reality is that the violence, lawlessness we often hear about is the lawlessness happening in Mexico…there’s almost no criminal justice system working there.”

The U.S.  Customs and Border Protection Agency allowed Balitang America to join its agents as they patrolled the Rio Grande River and the valley. Superintendent Jose Trevino, III, said despite the job cuts, an interagency network is in full operational status and functioning well.

“In 2007, we started with 14,800 agents.  Now we are about 2500 agents in 2010.we had 144 increase in narcotics seizures. Last year we led the country in cocaine seizures. We are definitely here 365 days a year, 24 hours a day,” said Trevino.

Even with the violence so close to home, many Filipinos believe that staying on U.S.  soil protects them.

“I don’t feel like the Filipinos are being threatened by it,” added Tan

Mayor Richard Cortez concluded,” To the Filipino community at this point in time, there is little or no risk.”

They said as long as the drug cartels fight each other, Filipinos who stay out of Mexico are safe.

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