Escape of El Chapo may worsen violence at the border: U.S.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) believes that the escape of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán may worsen drug cartels violence at the border, especially in places like Tucson (Arizona), the Rio Grande Valley and San Diego (California).

The warning was made today by DHS commander Robert L. Harris, in charge of the surveillance of the southwest border of the United States, at a hearing on border security with the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the Lower House.

According to a press release published on the committee's website, the risks posed to U.S. personnel and the public by the criminal violence in northern Mexico are numerous, including:

February 2015: the U.S. Consulate in Matamoros reported 227 separate security incidents in the U.S. border region.

May 2015: two government buildings in Matamoros were struck by bomb attacks. 

June 2015: a gunman on the Mexican side of the border fired multiple shots at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter. 

June 2015: a U.S.-contracted vehicle was hijacked by armed criminals that resulted in the theft of over 11,500 Border Crossing Cards.

(With information from EFE)