Border violence continues to be a hot topic and today a few law enforcement leaders from Texas were in Washington speaking in front of the Homeland Security subcommittee. Pro 8 news reporter Ryan Bailey has more on their testimonies.

Four men, including Zapata County Sheriff Sigi Gonzalez, McAllen police chief Victor Rodriguez and Texas D.P.S. director Steve McCraw, were on Capitol Hill, bringing real life testimonies to the Congressmen.

It was March 24th when the Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said the border is safer than ever. Today men that are fighting the border battle daily refuted those claims to Congress. Zapata County Sheriff, Sigi Gonzalez, was one of the more outspoken members of the panel, saying things continue to go from bad to worse, saying, “Things are getting more violent. Tthe smugglers are getting more brazen. They're being given orders to confront us, so it's not more secure."

The Attorney General of Arizona is concerned that the situation may not have hit rock bottom, as Mexico’s president could soon be on his way out.

Tom Horne says, "Support for President Calderon politically, his heroic actions is waning, so things could get much worse."

Only a few days ago, Mexican marines killed over a dozen known Zeta cartel members on an island in Falcon Lake, where the cartel had set up as an area to stash marijuana. This is the second known incident in the past year on the lake of cartel members waging war on the waters. Last October American David Hartley was killed on while sightseeing on the Mexican side of the lake. Sheriff Gonzalez says with the isolated nature of the lake they need more funds to help in patrols.

"We're doing, sometimes unfortunately, the job of the federal government. We're the first responders; we're the ones who have to respond to what happens on Falcon Lake and everywhere else. The federal government doesn't respond."

One of the issues facing the U.S./Mexico border is not activity in the cities, but the lack of resources in the rural areas, which are seeing an increase in the amount of crime almost across the board.

"If you segregate what the sheriffs are having to deal with, there is an increase in everything except stolen vehicles."

Gonzalez says the Border Patrol cannot do the job alone, and that more funding must be sent to the local law enforcement agencies to keep the border safe.

"If you give me 10 deputy sheriffs, I’m going to have 10 deputy sheriffs on the border. That's what they'll be doing, not other stuff."

"The bottom line is it's not secure and until it is we're not going to be happy."

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, over the past 18 months, 6 of the 7 Mexican cartels have established command networks in Texas cities, an increase of 300%. They are also seeing a sharp increase of cartels working hand in hand with Texas prison gangs as a way to recruit new members.