WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) joined Fox News’ Special Report With Bret Baier with Congressman Wiley Nickel (D-NC) to discuss their recent bipartisan Congressional Delegation (CODEL) trip to Brazil, Colombia, and Panama. On the CODEL, the members met with national security and law enforcement leaders in these countries to discuss the growing and complicated influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the region and the evolving, sophisticated threat of transnational criminal organizations (TCOs).

Watch the interview here.

On what the delegation saw in the Darien Region and how the U.S.’ failed immigration policies are creating a migration crisis in Latin American countries:
 
Chairman Pfluger:  “The bipartisan trip objectives were to see the CCP influence in South America to understand what’s going on in the drug trade, human trafficking, the things that are affecting us right here at our border. And we went and saw places like the Darien region to really fully understand what we’re facing here, and the challenges and the threats to our national security.”
 
Chairman Pfluger:  “Obviously we have an immigration crisis at our Southern border but people are making this very dangerous trek there. I think looking at the reasons, understanding why, and seeing the challenges, whether it’s the assaults to the young women, the drugs that are being moved, that’s why we wanted to go and physically see it ourselves.”

On the CCP’s influence in Latin American countries and whether the U.S. is effectively competing with the CCP in the region:
 
Chairman Pfluger: “You see China competing. They’re competing in all those sectors and out of that can come some chaos for our own country. We have to compete. We have to be present. That was very much a reason that we had a bipartisan trip to those countries.”
 
Rep. Nickel: “We need to spend a lot more time in the region because China is moving very aggressively.”
 
On working in a bipartisan manner to get things done in Washington: 
 
Chairman Pfluger: “It is happening. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get covered. I appreciate the fact that you’re covering this because these solutions have to be bipartisan. The security of our country is not a partisan issue, it’s an American issue.”

 Read more about the Latin America trip here. 

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