Earlier this week, I answered several questions posed by the Arizona Republic's Editorial Board regarding the Mexican drug cartels. The Q & A was posted online as part of the newspaper's "AZTalk" feature.

The eight questions were well-chosen, and I thought you might find this interview of interest.

(1) Testifying before the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on crime and drugs, you observed that "We are not winning the battle" against drugs and human smuggling from Mexico. Just how bad is the situation, particularly here in Arizona?

The situation is bad and getting worse. Drugs, undocumented immigrants, guns and money are flowing across the U.S.-Mexican border, accompanied by increasing violence. State and local law enforcement are addressing these crimes with specialized units and joint task forces, but effectively counteracting the criminal organizations will require stronger federal action and leadership. Moves announced Tuesday at the White House to send more law enforcement resources to the border are on the right track.

(2) What more can be done, either by Arizona or the federal government, to combat the Mexican cartels?

The biggest step would be broader cooperation -- both among federal agencies, and among federal, state and local agencies, including our counterparts in Mexico. We should expand the mission of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program to include human and gun smuggling as well as drug smuggling. One other useful move would be creating a joint federal and state program to examine Western Union and other money transmitters’ data to identify and eliminate corrupt money transmitter locations across the Southwest border.

(3) Do you agree that the increase in drug-related violence in Mexico can be viewed as a positive sign that "important strides" are being made against the cartels?

President Calderon has taken a courageous stand against the cartels. His program is comprehensive, including judicial system reform and suppression of corruption as well as directly confronting the criminal organizations. His efforts have elicited violent response because these cartels are struggling to maintain their hold on the drug trade. It is in our best interests to support the Mexican government's determined offensive.

(4) What is the likelihood that the Mexican cartels and kidnappers will eventually turn their attention toward law-abiding citizens of Arizona, perhaps kidnapping a bank president, for example?

Our hope is that by taking on the cartels with a forceful and coordinated response, it will not come to that. The potential for more spillover violence into Arizona is real, however, and we need to do all we can now to minimize that risk.

(5) Would legalizing marijuana in the United States help in the battle against the drug cartels, as some suggest?

I don't support legalization, which would replace one problem with a different set of problems. Legalizing marijuana would not stop the cartels' drug trade or the violence that goes with it. We do need to do more to reduce demand for all illegal drugs in America, including putting additional resources into treatment and education/prevention.

(6) Where do things stand now with the courts in your being able to successfully crack down on the use of wire-transfer money by smugglers?

Western Union still refuses to produce data we need to weed out its corrupt agents and seize smuggling proceeds wired by the company. We have several cases against Western Union pending in court, and we expect a ruling soon from the Arizona Supreme Court in one of them.

(7) As past chairman of the Conference of Western Attorneys General, where are you urging your fellow AGs to put their emphasis in targeting smugglers?

As Conference chair, I brought Attorneys General from both sides of the border together at meetings that produced major agreements last year to share information and collaborate on investigations and prosecutions. I continue to encourage my U.S. colleagues and our Mexican counterparts to work closely together on cross-border crimes. I also urge them to utilize the pioneering law enforcement techniques developed in Arizona to combat human smuggling, money laundering and car theft.

(8) How big of a setback was the state judge's decision to dismiss charges against a Phoenix gun dealer who was accused of arming a Mexican drug cartel?

I am disappointed by the ruling in this case, but it will not change my commitment to aggressively pursue illegal gun trafficking. I will continue to investigate and prosecute anyone engaged in this crime. Let me be clear, these cases are not about restricting American citizens' right to bear arms. They are about cracking down the cartels and their use of straw buyers to build their arsenals.

Terry Goddard