MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Senator McCain calls for troops to be deployed along Mexican border

The 2008 Republican presidential nominee points to the continued growing violence

The influential US Senator John McCain from Arizona sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano calling for the deployment of National Guard troops along the “southern border region” between the US and Mexico to help counter the growing violence from the drug cartels.

McCain points to “the continued and apparently growing violence” along the border in his letter and underlines the recent killing of an Arizona rancher who was shot on his property.

The 2008 Republican presidential candidate who lost to Barack Obama writes that the federal government should act to “curb this violence and protect its citizens from criminals coming across the border from Mexico.”

“The people of Arizona and the United States demand and deserve secure borders. I hope that you will take a personal interest in ensuring that Arizonans can feel safe and protected on their own property and not live in fear of the increasing violence along the border.”

McCain is attempting to fight off a primary challenge from the right from former congressman and conservative talk-radio host JD Hayworth, who has attacked McCain for his position on climate change, campaign financing and, most aggressively, immigration.

Seemingly in response to the challenge, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee has seemed to move right on immigration and other issues. When President Bush was in office, McCain backed immigration reform that would provide a path to citizenship for the millions of illegal immigrants living in the United States -- a position he no longer appears to support.

On his campaign Web site, McCain says that his first priority when it comes to immigration is securing the nation's borders.

“John McCain does not support amnesty and believes that we should not reward lawbreakers” according to his website.

McCain wrote in his letter that he is merely reiterating his past calls for troops at the border. Last year the Obama administration declined a request from the Arizona governor, Jan Brewer, for National Guard troops to be deployed there.

The Arizona Senator also calls for a continued US support of Mexico’s president Felipe Calderón in his fight against the drug cartels. His government has deployed 50.000 troops to combat organized crime in Mexico which has left a toll of 15.000 dead in three years.