U.S. Rep. Peter T. King (R-NY), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Michael T. McCaul, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management also requested that Secretary Clinton develop a comprehensive strategy to assist the Mexican government win their war against the violent and deadly cartels such as Los Zetas, who are suspected of murdering an American law enforcement agent.

In a joint letter to Secretary Clinton, the Members wrote that “the Mexican drug cartels present a dangerous threat to the national security of the United States.”

The Members urged Clinton to “use every capability of the U.S. Government to counter this growing threat to our economy, our security and well being of our citizens. Equally as important, we must make sure Mexico does not become a failed state and yet another haven for terrorists.”

The request came as Secretary Clinton hosted the Mexican Foreign Minister, Patricia Espinosa, at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C.

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“[O]n at least 23 occasions its highly specialized Behavior Detection Officers failed to stop terrorists from boarding planes, investigators found. At least 16 people who were later charged or pleaded guilty to terrorism charges slipped through eight different U.S. airports with SPOT programs, according to the GAO’s findings.”

On Thursday, U.S. Congress members on the Homeland Security Committee led by Rep. Peter King (R-NY) obtained an important report from the Government Accountability Office on aviation security and it proved to be a disturbing document.

The attempted passenger aircraft bombing of Northwest flight 253 on December 25, 2009, provided a vivid reminder that the civil aviation system remains an attractive terrorist target. To enhance aviation security, the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began testing its Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) program to identify persons who may pose a risk to aviation security.

The SPOT program utilizes behavior observation and analysis techniques to identify potentially high-risk passengers. GAO analysts provided Congress with information on the extent to which TSA has validated the scientific basis for SPOT and other operational challenges.

“Years after implementing a costly passenger screening program, the Homeland Security agency responsible for protecting the nation’s transportation system failed to detect terrorists at U.S. airports on nearly two dozen occasions,” according to Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch.

As a result the terrorists slipped right through “security” checkpoints and boarded commercial airplanes, according to the GAO report that’s difficult to swallow nearly a decade after the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history.

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Military fighter jets will be busy this week preparing to protect the skies around Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, during Super Bowl XLV on February 6, according to a Pentagon report released yesterday evening.

Amalgam Virgo 11-05A, a North American Aerospace Defense Command air defense exercise, will allow interagency partners the chance to practice procedures in response to airspace violations, officials said.

The Amalgam Virgo exercise comprises a series of training flights held in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, Customs and Border Protection, Civil Air Patrol, and the Continental United States NORAD Region’s Western Air Defense Sector, officials said.

Residents in the area can expect flights to begin around 9 p.m. Feb. 2 and to continue for about an hour and a half.

“Interagency coordination is a key aspect of our daily air defense measures,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. Garry C. Dean, commander of the Continental United States NORAD Region. “This Amalgam Virgo exercise is an excellent opportunity for all of our interagency air defenders to hone our air defense skills in preparation for Super Bowl Sunday.”

These exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure rapid response capability, officials said, noting that flights of this nature have taken place throughout the United States since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

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