White House Adds Troops to Mexico Border Drug Fight

The Obama administration says it is sending more agents and equipment to the southwestern US border to combat Mexican drug cartels. Speaking at the White House today, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said officials were still considering whether to deploy the National Guard to the border. She plans to meet with Texas Gov. Rick Perry to discuss the matter.

Deputy Attorney General David Ogden pledged "to destroy these criminal organizations" through a united effort on both sides of the border. Hillary Clinton travels to Mexico tomorrow, the start of several weeks of high-level meetings between the two countries about drug violence. Violent turf battles among cartels have wracked Mexico in recent years and led to a spate of kidnappings and home invasions in some US cities. (More Mexico stories.)