U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) issued a strongly-worded statement Sunday against the Mexican government for its role in the "militarized seizure" of Vulcan Materials Company's port facility at Punta Venado in Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Britt said the Vulcan facility, headquartered in Birmingham, was breached and taken over by military and police forces at approximately 5:30 am local time on March 14. Two days later, a Mexican federal district court ordered the government forces to vacate Vulcan. However, the property remained under military occupation as of March 19.
"This forcible seizure of private property is unlawful and unacceptable. It is shameful that this Mexican presidential administration would rather confiscate American assets than the fentanyl killing hundreds of Americans per day," Britt said in a statement. "Mexico should be more focused on going after the cartels than law-abiding businesses and hardworking people.
"President Biden must raise this directly with President López Obrador and assure the American people that this will not be tolerated. The ramifications of this illicit seizure extend into the United States, significantly hamstringing important American infrastructure, energy, and other construction projects that currently rely on Vulcan's operations in Mexico for materials. My office and I will continue to monitor this situation and ensure this is not swept under the rug."
As the ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Britt traveled to Mexico City in February to meet with Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard about the increasing "illegal aggression" towards Vulcan by the Mexican government. She has also met with senior U.S. Embassy personnel in Mexico City to discuss the issue.
See court order here:
See Vulcan Materials' response here:
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.taylor@1819news.com.
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