During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) questioned President Donald Trump's nominees to be Director of the US Marshals Service and DEA about domestic resources, and cooperation between the DEA and the Mexican government.
00:00both of you and your families to ensure the fitness to serve of any nominee in any of the
00:08committees that I sit on. I ask the following two initial questions, so I will ask them of you. We'll
00:13start with Mr. Cole and then Mr. Serato, you can answer. Since you became a legal adult,
00:20have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors or committed any verbal or physical
00:26harassment or assault of a sexual nature? No, Senator. No, Senator. Have you ever faced discipline or
00:34entered into a settlement related to this kind of conduct? No, Senator. No, Senator.
00:42The Trump administration has pushed the Marshall Service and DEA agents to assist with immigration
00:49actions. Obvious mission drift for these important agencies. Marshall should be focused
00:56on judicial security, as you noted, Mr. Serato, apprehending fugitives and executing federal
01:02court orders. The DEA should be focused on fentanyl and the overdose crisis, as you indicated, as a
01:09priority. Mr. Serato, are you concerned about stretching already limited resources and possibly
01:17thousands of your employees taking early retirement away from judicial security, where the threats
01:25are increasing against judges and apprehending fugitives? Senator, we'll never stop focusing on the
01:33threats to judges. That is our top priority in our primary mission and role. That being said,
01:42the Marshall Service have always had a footprint in immigration. We produce
01:48prisoners that have holds from our federal partners. And we deal with them at all times. In my district,
02:02I can tell you, we have focused our efforts on violent criminals.
02:06Yes. So any immigration aspects to it, the Marshall Service is not responsible for apprehending or helping to
02:15apprehend what I would call low-level non-violent immigration violators. Is that so?
02:21That is not our usual mission. Yes. So meanwhile, do you have a concern about your having the resources that you need in view of the offer to 5,000 of your employees that they should take retirement?
02:38Do you have a concern? Do you have a concern about resources? I know that my colleague, Senator Durbin, asked you about that?
02:45Senator, in my district, it had no impact. I need to look into it as the, if I'm confirmed, I need to look into it nationwide. But in my district, it has not had an impact at all.
02:59I think that the day is young for that. Because the fact of the matter is that we have an administration that is really decimating so many programs and offices, including, for example, Social Security Office, where millions of Americans rely on the services that they, the questions answered,
03:20regarding relating to Social Security and those kinds of customer service elements are being cut dramatically.
03:30So this is happening to every single department, except for the DOD.
03:35Okay, Mr. Cole, similarly, I've heard about how important DA programs like the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program is for local partners.
03:44Yet, under this administration, they are putting DA agents from programs like this and instead having them help arrest low-level immigration offenses.
03:56How does this diversion of resources help us fight drugs in our communities?
04:03Senator, thank you for your question. I'm not currently at DEA, but I do understand your question.
04:09I do understand that DEA has been given Title 8 authority to help and assist ICE ERO, but I would like to point out recently the raid that occurred in Colorado Springs with DEA, along with all the federal agencies.
04:24Although it was an immigration, it produced TDA members, it produced MS-13 members, crime and criminal elements were taken into custody, drugs were seized, weapons were found.
04:37And I anticipate that type of push into the violent criminal illegals if we are asked to assist under our Title 8.
04:46So, well, I think that we do expect the DEA to go after the violent criminals, but that is not necessarily what is happening as far as I understand.
04:56And considering that, for example, you know, you have said certain things about Mexico, that it is a failed state, and that the cartels pretty much control what's happening in Mexico.
05:09And how do you intend to work with the government of Mexico with those kinds of views as to their capacity to assist in the fentanyl crisis?
05:20So, Senator, as I pointed out earlier, the new security director is a friend of the United States.
05:29Omar Hafuch is somebody who is willing to work with the United States.
05:33He has made, in a short amount of time, significant seizures in reference to fentanyl and in reference to methamphetamine.
05:40So I am encouraged, not only by his work, but his appointment to be the head of security for Mexico.
