>> joining us from bridge one, pedestrian crossing bridge that separates united states from mexico, is alfredo, the author of midnight in mexico, a reporter's journey through a country's descent into darkness. you wrote this book about the ongoing drug wars, drug trafficking that divides your two countries. is it still midnight in mexico, mr. corchado? >> guest: well, good morning, greta. i spent i think most of yesterday traveling along the u.s./mexico border, the texas border, and i continually ask myself that question. i arrived in laredo late last night, it was near midnight, and i kind of looked to the mexican side of the border and said is it still midnight? compared to when the book came out in 2013, there was a lot more peace and prosperity ina

some regions of this country. but unfortunately, we're right across a city that where journalists still openly self-censor themselves. they say there's no guarantee from the government, there is no protection from the government against these drug cartels. there is no real freedom to move. offer times you have convoys leaving from -- often times you have convoys leaving, people who need military escorts or just themselves to try to travel to the border. so all the issues we talked about, unfortunately, have not been resolved. what mexico is doing in the future. midnight.now if it is maybe it is 12:30. clearly not done yet. host: what led to the darkness? guest: many factors led to

darkness. one was inrs when mexico experienced -- that led to a vacuum, power vacuum, where basically states took over and drug cartels, who -- not often but they really operated many times one-on-one with the corruption with federal authorities. many of these cartels became basically the -- not just ofplah the -- everything that government does. they took over the police department. took over newsrooms, took over city governments, et cetera. i wouldn't go as far to say that mexico is a failed state because it's clearly not, but i think there are regions across mexico, states like that where you can say it's a failed state or close

to failed region. >> host: al grade to corchado -- alfredo corchado. has been covering mexico and the two countries for many years. mr. corchado. what do the cartels want? >> guest: the drug cartels whatnot something -- i think it's not that different from, say, starbucks. they want processes, they're in -- they know that there is a big, big demand for illegal drugs, consumption is huge. u.s. market is the biggest market in the world. they want new markets. they want to be able to penetrate the united states and be in as many places they can be. there's a joke they're like the fedex model. you get the drugs from colombia, peru, bolivia, into mexico, and 24 hours later they in streets o

of new york, washington, dallas, phoenix. they want to be able to continue making a profit. >> host: how do they get them across? >> guest: usually corruption.ru i think mexico's biggest challenge, biggest problem, aside from building strong rule of law institutions, democratic institutions that work. than impunity in mexico is 98%. if you kill someone, commit a murder, commit a crime, often times there's 598% chance you'll get away with it. when you have that much corruption it's easy to by authorities to bring the drugs into the united states. also corruption on the u.s. side of the border. something we overlook. there are gangs, there are networks. we're not talking about one major cartel, we're talking about, big, big cartels that are huge. they have ties across the world.

so once they get them across, it's a vast network that where people take the drugs to the different cities throughout the u.s. and throughout the world, in london, france, spain, italy, on and on and on. >> host: if the united states were to put up a wall where you're sitting right now, and across the southern texas border, would that stop it? >> guest: greta, i have actually -- remember clearly one time when i was at a bar in northern mexico when they were waiting for congress to debate the talk about building more walls, and i saw how drug smugglers were able to raise their glasses and salute to the men and women back in d.c., back in congress, and say, you are helping us. you're making this much more profitable.

i think anytime that the united states starts to make things tougher for immigrants, the only people who really benefit from this are the smugglers themselves.fi the people have to find new ways to get across. a as long as you have men for -- demand for labor and demands for a drugs you'll have mexicans trying to get across. we have to remember there's a migration from the south to north, at historic low, and as a reporter i can't tell you the number of city is visit throughout the united states, dallas, san diego, philadelphia, california, washington, where people are beginning to ask me, where are the mexicans? they're not seeing as many mexicans coming across to take some of these jobs, so they are beginning to see a labor shortage in parts of the united states. my point is i think some day for all the talk of rapists and

murders and soing for coming carrot the border, some day i think american businessmen will seriously miss the mexican worker. >> host: let's get to calls.riol sean, cannings city, missouri, good morning go ahead. >> caller: yes.ca was calling to say that i feel like mexico is playing the mess out americans. the cartell runs our city now and that's a foreign entity. they kill more people with their drugs than the terrorism would ever do, and in the end, like you said, they're taking our jobs. my daughter tried to get a job at can mcdonald's. they taken up. she can't get a job. >> host: mer corchado. >> guest: i didn't understand. mexico is making a mess out of the united states? >> host: issue i think that's what he said. he went on to say the cartels are controlling our towns. are they controlling the -- on

the u.s. side of the border? >> guest: i wouldn't say they're controlling. say they have a huge presence and they work hand in hand with operative is, people who operate in the united states. this is not -- drugs do not magically appear on the u.s. side. they do not magically appear on u.s. streets. they work hand in hand with-h either americans or with spaniards or the canadians. it's a combination. i it's cooperation across the border to try to make sure the product gets into the united states. >> host: i'm going to show the viewers numbers from the u.s. border appreciation -- protection. the amount of seizures in 2015. 164,000 pounds of drugs. a 49% increase over 2014. 153 behindses of marijuana.

55 pounds of cocaine and over 5,000 funds of methamphetamine that they were able to seize, as well as heroin, a thousand points. 5.9 million none declared currency and ammunition. 7,000 rounds of ammunition. that's -- how frequent is it happening on the border that those cartels are trying, tempting to and skeeting in getting drugs across the -- succeeding in getting drugs across the border? >> guest: well, u.s. authorities say they only see so much and so much gets across. i'm here as a journalist. we have been covering the u.s.-mexico border and hear the numbers again. h also hear i think something surprising, that often times people say the number of marijuana going across the borders is declining and that's

because the quality of the marijuana in the united states is so much better they're actually moving marijuana to cities like monterrey, and even mexico city. you have demand on both sides of the border. also tells me that maybe the drug policy in the united states isn't working. you have to also deal with the consumers. you have to deal with thels demand. that's what -- drug traffickers in the end, they're smart businessmen. they're looking to see what sells, what can they get across? who is consuming what? where are they consuming it and how do we get it there? >> host: sharon in maryland. it's your turn good, morning, sharon. sharon, are you with news hyattville, maryland? >> caller: hi good morning. >> host: go ahead. >> caller: thank you for having me on. i just basically wanted to say that as an american, born and raised in america, it really

truly should be some kind of immigration reform because i work a lot of -- a diverse culture i work with, and i really, truly see how hard theyt work every day, and americans say that latinos, mexicans, come over and take stuff from us. i don't believe that's true, because i see that they literally -- work hard, saving money, going out there, buying their houses, buying their stuff, buying whatever the need to provide and we silt and say, oh, they doing this, they taking this. they do work for less than nothing, and they take their money to get what they're need. so, if the shoe fits, wear it. as an american you feel -- you don't judge people like that you don't have anything to worry about.

i'm just telling you where i'm coming from, what i've seen and heard as an american.ei >> host: all right, sharon, mr. corchado. >> guest: well, mexico is trying to do more to try to keep people in mexico, and again, there are historic low numbers of people getting across the border, but i often wonder there's so much of a u.s. presence of a presence of foreign companies throughout mexico. talk about, yes, mexico is more peaceful, more prosperity in certain parts of the country in mexico you have innovators, people trying to do something. you have people still believe in a better mexico. people who do not want to migrate into the united states. and i think the big issue is races. often times people wonder why can't american companies, foreign companies, pay us more wages so we do stay back in mexico and not go into the united states and not be humiliated by u.s. -- whether

it's lawmakers or u.s. residents who feel they're -- people are taking their jobs away. i can't tell you the number of people i've -- the number of times i have been in communities in mexico where people say the last thing i want to do is migrate to the u.s. and be separated from my family. especially now when the border is so tenuous, so difficult to come back and forth like that. in the late '80s.0' early '90s. not just dealing with an anti-mexican attitude throughout mexico, throughout the united states, but also the -- it's much more dangerous when cartels have taken over the smuggling routes to get across, much more expensive to do that. so, i want to agree with sharon in that often times they are doing jobs that americans don't want to do, and often timeouts

to regions in the united states where there is a legitimate complaint that the jobs went south and people are making very, very low wages compared to what they were making. >> host: we are talking with alfredo corchado, joining us from laredo, texas. you can see the sign from mexico over his shoulder. that's the city of nuevo laredo, texas. we are taking -- >> guest: also a lot of construction. >> host: yes. bridge one -- >> guest: a sign that the bridges are being constructed. >> host: so, bridge one, used to be for pedestrians and passenger vehicles, and they have made it now so it will be just for pedestrians and that's the work that they're doing. that's the work you hear there in the background. ray, palm harbor, florida. good morning, go ahead. >> caller: good morning. it's simple, just look at the facts. the facts are that they know that border states is at --

crime is at ridiculous levels. you can say what you want about the jobs that people don't want to do but as americans we go into walmart, and most of our jobs are held byobs mexican-americans or undocumented mexicans. schools are flooded with their children. it's more of an economic issue. everybody wants to keep labeling it racist but that not what it is. it's the fact that it's putting a tremendous economic burden on the american taxpayer. >> host: okay, ray. al afraid -- al trade dough, -- alfredo, what's the drive for mexican citizens to come here and risk the passage and cross illegally into the country. >> guest: better jobs, better wages. but i got say, if they are mexico-americans they are paying taxes, even many illegal

immigrants pay taxes or take money away from social security. i get it. this is a very difficult and emotional time in the united states, and people are asking, where do these people come from? it's a fact of life.fe beyond illegal immigration, there's a lot of legal migration. there are places that have been -- again, traveling the border in many of these communities, 9% of the communities are made up of residents with ties to mexico, and yet we're traveling some of the safest communities anywhere in the united states, just long the u.s. side of the border. people think of the border as some wild, crazy area but they're some of the safest communities. i can't speak to if mexican-americans or immigrants are taking over the united states. that's beyond me.

i'm just a journalist trying to tell the story. and i'm trying to listen to the questions with all the construction. >> host: we'll muddle through here. hoe -- jose in modesto, california. >> caller: good morning. why is mexico a very large, rich, wealthy country. why can't they pay their people a decent wage? if they pay their people a decent wage, then the want want to come over the border. a.id tha and b., why can't they do anything? are the powerless to protect these people that are getting raped and killed at the border?h why don't they use the mexicanpl army to protect them and why are they powerless against the cartels. is this mexican government weak? nobody ever mentions what the mexican government is doing for these people. >> host: okay. >> guest: that's a very good point. from modesto. i think that's the question that can be posed not just to the mexican government but also, again, to foreign companies.

why do they pay such low wages? that's something that i think is becoming more and more of an issue. there are places in mexico where they're actually building airplanes. they're building commuters, mexican high-tech areas that are here, but it's a question that keeps coming. why aren't we paying more money? why as far as corruption in the mexican.tv, that's the key. corruption is so imbedded into the system that it has been virtually impossible for the mexican government, up to this point to try to really take cartels on because, again, it'sr really a war within the government. the corruption is so deep within the government that actually both sites are warring one-on-one inside to -- you talk about what does this cartel belong to or who is helping them? often times at some point, some people higher up in the

government. the good news, i think, for me as a reporter, is often times in the darkest times of mexico i see the best of mexicans, and i see people that -- who continue to believe in a better mexico. people who continue to believea in hope and people who are creating civil societies, societies who learn how to keep the government accountable, hold the government accountable. not going to be a quick fix but it's something that we are beginning to see the effect. just a few years ago, perhaps the most dangerous city, juarez, some people say around the world. it's a city where crime has come down considerably and you see a greater role, members of civil society, trying to hold the police accountable, hold the politicians accountable. that's the answer to mexico's long-term problems. >> host: mike next in pittsburgh. good morning to you. what is your question?

>> caller: i just had a quick comment. think that a lot of people kind of have misdirected anger towards mexicans. think most american people are just upset about the state of our own economy, but i thinknk ultimately we need to have better relationships with some kind of state of the mexican government if we can ever mover forward progressively.rw >> host: okay. mr. corchado, what is our relations like, diplomatically, between the united states and mexico? >> guest: i think on the surface things are really well. if you talk to both sides they will put on a smile and say, cooperation, cooperation, thingl are working well. also think there's a bit of frustration on the part of the u.s. government in that the current mexican administration, came in 2012, promised a lot of reforms and did force a lot of reforms, but i think the

corruption level is so, so imbedded, the conflict of interest in his own administration, questions about the kidnappings, some of the murders in mexico, the murders of the 43 students in guerrero, all that has basically hurt the narrative that the president was trying to make. it was narrative as a happy mexico, better mexico. that's really hurt him and made the u.s. government, members of the administration, that much more frustrated with mexico. but it's something -- you are tied at the hip. here at the border you can't exactly make mexico disappear. think the caller is right. you have to work together to try to make mexico a morea prosperous, safer place. once that happens, it is going to help not just the u.s. and mexico but the entire north america. make it a much more dynamic,c, much more vibrant region but

something that hasn't moved beyond the border. people can talabout ade and say in laredo we are seeing a lot of jobs, but i've also been in michigan and other parts of theme mid-western united states and you see the impact. don't think the two sides have found the sweet spot of both countries.i >> host: when we were in laredo, texas in april, we spoke with the mayor, democrat, about his community, and he said it is safe in his town of laredo and it's a misperception that border towns are not. take a listen. >> a lot of people think that the u.s. site of the bored -- sites of the border is not safe but it's very safe. >> what's happening? >> statistics to show that to prove that. now, on the mexican side, that's where there's issues, security issues, and we got to be careful when we do cross.

the border normally is not as safe as the border on the mexican side is not as safe as other parts of mexico, but like anything else you need action, and see what. >> what is happening in nueva laredo has your sister town has been called. >> unfortunately, there's activity, cartel, drugs, cartel activity, human smuggling, activity as well. and it appears the rule of law has lost its way. and laws aren't necessarily enforced, and it's hard to determine who is a good guy and who is the bad guy, so to speak. >> host: we're live this morning from laredo texas. that was the mayor when wewe talked to him in april. alfredo corchado is joining it

from the pedestrian bridge in laredo texas. right across the river is mexico. you heard the mayor talk bet the cartels and the drugs but the smuggling of humans. why have the cartels moved to, and how much smuggling of humans are they doing? >> guest: a lot. i think they're in the height of the central american crisis -- by the way, that crisis has not left. it's still there. still a lot of young central americans coming through texas, increasingly through arizona and even california, but we saw how in parts of texas, for a while there were some cartels who were focused more on smuggling people, smuggling young children, than they were on drugs and found it to be muchwi more profitable. again, it's all about profits. when the cartels became powerful

in the late '90s, early 2000, they took over all the smuggle can routes. when i was a okayed growing up in mexico, where we knew who the smuggler was.gl this was usually a person who was a neighbor or who knew someone. there was a family connection. there was a sense of -- nowdays when people cross the bored are they're putting their hands in unknown individuals who too often it leads to disastrous consequences, but the smugglers have taken over the routes from the traditional coyote and they're the ones who cross people into the united states. but often times at very steep -- not just financial but a human toll. >> host: good morning from new york, an immigrant. >> caller: in morning. we have some also look to place the blame on corporations because they want to spend less money and make more profits, number one.ke

number two the people coming from all over the world, we decide to blame mexicans. they're just trying to eat, like the people from europe. they were trying to do the same thing. people just need to research the thing more and place blame properly, and thanks and have a good morning. >> host: all right, let's hear from john in los angeles, good morning, john. >> caller: good morning. c-span, you're great. want to ask mr. corchado if, in his opinion, on his opinion of legalizing, say, just marijuana, what would that do to the power of the cartels? i'm thinking drain their money. >> host: mr. corchado? >> guest: i think we're already seeing that. colorado legalized, washington, other states have legalized marijuana and we have seen an impact in the sense there are more people now, more smugglers focused on meth and on even cocaine.

think cocaine is making a big comeback. the smugglers will always go to whatever is -- when you live in a country where the rule of law is so weak. the democracy is so weak, impunity so high. they will find the u.s. weak spot and take advantage of that. if tomorrow they decided that mexican cookies were illegal i would say ban the cookization it was making americans too obese, the mexican cartels well find a way to smuggle them across. anything that they can get away with in countries with weak institutions they will try. i'm always interested in when pot from california or colorado, makes its way across the bordero into mexico is because of quality. the other thing we're seeing is that, as it's no longer just about the drug trade but about

regular mexicans who are very much impacted by kidnappings, by extortion. again, it's these drug cartels who have basically become drug organizations or criminal organizations who control regions, just like the one right across the border crossing in laredo. as the mayor was saying -- interesting point. we're doing poll, con enact news, and the dallas morning news and univision, and we're looking at some of the key issues, including security.so every u.s. community that we visit along the border talks about how safe their community is, and it's backed up by fact. we're talking about some of the safe e communities along the u.s. sites of the border and some of the moe troubling, dangerous communities on the mexican side. >> host: nance in big bear city, california. good morning, nancy. >> caller: hi.

they've been claiming laredo is a safe place. as far as the fbi and cia have quoted, one of them says that's a lie and the other one says misleading at best. as far as coming here for a better life, that's totally untrue. 72% of them are on welfare. they have completely destroyed the opportunity and development for our 16 and 4-year-olds. their unemployment is over 50%. they are sending them over here for the world bank and honest economists, their economy would collapse if they didn't have these people sending money back there. m they're second highest source of revenue. >> host: nancy, we'll leave it at that and have mr. corchado respond. >> guest: there are actually some mexicans way before president, donald trump talked

beside building a wall. some mexican human rights activists and democratic activists in mexico who talk about maybe building a wall to try to keep mexicans in mexico so they can stay and help build a better country. that's been talked about beforea there's not much i can say other than that -- what i said earlier. i think a lot of mexicans would rather stay in mexico and try to make a living there if both sides made it sure that becames were higher and people can make a living in mexico. the mexicans i talked to, the mexicans i know in the united states, yes, you have all types, but you also have some very hard-working people who are just trying to make a living and trying to sacrifice everything they know by leaving mexico behind to try to help their children get a better life and find opportunities.

that was the case in my case.: >> host: chula vista, california go ahead. >> caller: thank you. the problem here is ethics and morals. the problem with white euro americans -- i'm sorry -- is greed. greed, number one. stop the greed, and you stop the problem. mexicans come here to work. and that's all it is. >> host: okay, that's martin's opinion. we'll hear from michael in texas, good morning. >> caller: good morning. i just want to talk about the demand in the united states for illegal substances. we got make our country happy to live in their own skin. otherwise the cartels keep going.

>> host: all right. michael's opinion. let's get connie in as well in im. good morning to you. >> caller: good morning. i -- when i was a kid here in illinois, i had to fight to work at libby's because the mexicans were bussed in, they were given a place to stay, everything, and that was not a low-wage job. that was the highest paid job i could get when i was 15 yearss old. and i mean, i was grateful to get the job if i could get on because of immigrants that were bussed in. now, today, my kids are home builders. their jobs are down, and it's because of the illegals that are here. >> host: mr. corchado? >> guest: you hear that storyes

often times. i hope to maybe get ahold of libby at some point and get into the star lot more. there are these anecdotes, where mexicans come here because there's demand. there are both siteses of the story. -- both sides of the store and as a journalist i'd like to know a lot more. again, i can't stress the fact enough, if they could, given the chance, given the choice, more mexicans would stay in mexico and that's exactly what we're seeing now. we're not seeing a flood of mexicans trying to cross illegally. in fact, some of the communities we visited, you see buses that are leaving empty. people have just said, enough. jobs are too hard. we're being alienated. it's difficult to get across and it's not worth it. i think when americans will ask

what happened to the mexicans? it's an aging country, the united states. they need new blood. they're not here. what's going on? where do you go -- where does america turn to in the futureer for more labor supply? >> host: chuck in weston, virginia. good morning, you're on the air. >> caller: good morning. i can hear people talk about the -- working hard. these people -- their grandparents wasn't even born when working was hard. when hard work was being done, and they keep talking about they want to come for a better life for their children. what happened to all the truth that the president wants -- why aren't they here taking care of the illegal immigration business instead of fighting isis. they should be here fighting illegal immigration. >> host: mr. corchado. >> guest: sunny don't know how to answer that question. again, i, talk about my own

personal story. we came because -- she was able to sacrifice everything she new and everything she loved about publics to give us a better life -- loved about mexico too give us a better life and has done well. speak for millions of families from mexico who have done the same thing, who have contributed to the success of the united states. either problem -- are there problems of issues? of course. most of them i hear of bad people loving the united states and mexico and being able to find a place they can actually improve. one of the reasons why it's fascinating to be on the border is that you talk to people who still believe in mexico because they see what they have done in the u.s. they have done what the help ofe the government, with the help of a system that works, of laws that work, rules that work,

institutions that work, they've been able to build very strong communities on the u.s. side of the border. obviously, it's also some of the most impoverished communications because of low wage and education issues. trying to paint mexicans in general as taking everybody's job and doing awful things, that's really a generalization. >> host: asbury park, new jersey, diane good, morning to you. >> caller: good morning, c-spann i want to comment about the t jobs. now, i think america is in for a rudes awakening because of the fact that the mexicans come over here, when you go to look for a job there's nothing but mexicans there on the job, and they tell you that if you don't fit in, then they can't hire you.

i have experienced it, getting hit on the job. they tell you if you get hit on the job, bus mexicans -- you are taking something away from them -- >> that's diane's opinion. jeff in huntington beach, california. jeff what would you think abou' immigration in this country? go ahead. >> guest: the illegal immigrants from mexico are putting a multimillion dollar burden on her healthcare system. you go to the los angeles county usc county hospital, memorial hospital, big county hospital, in torrance, ucla torrance, uc irvine, the county hospitals, and any emergency hospital, in america, they go in, and i get free health care and if american goes to mexico they don't get free health care. they get put in jail. if you're illegal american in mexico, you're going to get harassed.

you got to pay bribes, you get the full rub-around -- >> host: okay, jeff, let's let mr. corchado respond, the last part of what he had to say. >> guest: i missed that. >> host: he was saying if you are an american and you go into mexico illegally, that you have to pay bribessor, you get harassed. >> guest: unfortunately that's true. when you -- there's certain regions of mexico -- i think one of the biggest -- the most sadness i hear 0 from americans -- whether americans or mexicans, day can't travel freely throughout the countryy because you have to pay bribes. will say there are lot of americans who come to mexico because of free, easy, health care, throughout mexico. mexicans sometimes jokingly say, if they built the wall, maybe it's not so bad. it ill keep americans from coming in taking advantage of a health care system and education

system. obviously many of them are joking but we do visit communities throughout mexico where you talk to americans and they say this is the best health care in the world and very affordable, very cheap. and i think mexico in some regions is bracing itself for -- as a bigger onslaught or arrival of americans as america ages again. >> host: medical tourism happens just right over your shoulder. >> guest: medical tourism is a big business, exactly. whether it's the state of leon, some of these areas are -- medical tourism is the way to go for them. ito some of them are doing an incredible job luring people to come across. >> host: dave, irvine, california. good morning. >> caller: good morning. just wanted to make a comment. first of all, i'm not against people coming here. think they should be allowed to come here but they should do itt the right way.y. also, i think mexico should have

a minimum wage. they have no minimum wage. they don't care about their people so they come here and don't blame them because there's no jobs there where they don't want to pay them. so day need minimum wage. >> host: okay, mr. corchado. we're getting short here on time. >> guest: they do have a minimum wage.y e this minimum wage is about four or five dollars a day, depending on the peso. that is really low. talk to families who make 60, $70 a week, and they have -- there's entire families who live on that. so mexico has a laws, and i think -- it's really a question of large u.s. and foreign corporations and making that commitment to try to pay up, try to help mexico's wages so that people don't have to move.ag even then -- i'm telling you,. you go to a region in central

mexico, jalisco and you see less people thinking, dreaming, of migranting. when i started report only the stories, guy to villages and they talk about i'm getting to the united states. you don't hear those stories anymore. people want to stay in mexico but want their own government,vi the mexican government to be able to help them realize the dreams and they want the u.s. government -- not just the u.s. government but the u.s. residents, u.s. citizens, the world, to help them in shaming mexico in getting its house together. i think it's -- much more of anp impact if people from outside of the mexico, instead of just pointing the finger at some corrupt little country, as they call it, south of the border, they actually take action and try to help mexicans build the country they know they can live in, to help them pressure mexican authorities into finding answers and finding solutions

and finding justice for their own people. >> host: mark, charlotte, florida. hi there, mark. >> caller: real quick question. can he explain what larazastic a and -- that want the europeans out therefore the southwest and when the talks about helping mexico, they've been around longer than texas. why don't they follow the capitalism and get the corruption out and become more and more like texas. what about laraza? >> host: okay, mark. mr. corchado. >> guest: well, laraza was a -- back in the '60s and '70s i doubt you religion fine much of that -- you'll find much of that. at one point it was movement to try to contain what was left of mexico, what mexico lost to the united states. it's a movement that is really not that relevant in this conversation.ay i think at the end, going to

this poll we're doing, we're talking about one community where people feel as mach part of the mexico as part of the united states and vice versa,ed people who really see their forwards are swingcratly linked. they're -- intricately linked. >> host: like in texas good morning. >> good morning and-thank you. i don't have so much of a question. have a comment. simply this. my wife came to this country legally, and it's not just to get a better life, because if you want to, as everyone knows, you should fight for your rights. if they believe that mexico is where they want to be, then fight for their rights. as our forefathers have done here. as american citizens do here. once you come here, come here legally. as my wife today. work hard. d earn your citizenship.

and then work in this nation to back better citizen and to help others to become better citizens. >> host: okay, rick.s. jim in coral city, florida. good morning to you. jim, are you there? let's go to bob in arizona. bob? >> caller: i used to offload doors in tijuana, mexico, and when i was down there, they would bus people in because they couldn't afford to buy a car. they'd take them outside the country. if you go down to tijuana, you don't just see american factories. you see factories from all over the world. the trouble is the pace is so low they can't afford to even buy a car. and some of the mexican people i work for didn't want to come to america. they had -- had ph.ds and i

realized we're blaming mexicans when we should be blaming the corporations. >> host: mr. corchado, can you take that point? >> guest: i talked about that earlier. yes, it's not just blame the mexicans. i blame the corporations and press the corporations to pony up, to pay more, to put it bluntly. p and then the other caller made a good point. mexicans need to do their own thing and try to build their own government. that's exactly what we have been seeing. think beyond the bloodshed we have seen in mexico, one thing i've seen is people finally coming together from all walks of life, whether it's big business, corporations, with victims of the crime who are together banding and building a stronger society so try to hold the government accountable. there's a piece of legislation that the mexican -- theba stadium -- to try to force

legislators to disclose conflict of interest, how much tax they pay, et cetera, to try to, again, hold them accountable, and be much more of a responsive civil society. >> howard, you're on the air. >> caller: i'm a researcher in addiction. you're a brave man. has anyone tried to kill you? >> guest: it's too early in the morning to talk about death threats but that's what led to "midnight in mexico." we found one incidents where a very powerful group right across the bored here in la raid dough, believed that i -- laredo, believed i was getting too much information or was too close

to -- too close for comfort so they did put a threat. three names came up. t i was one of them. and that really led me to temporarily flee mexico, leave mexico for a period of time and led me to write my book "midnight in mexico." i very -- very important to say that compared to my situation, i was able to leave mexico. was able to find protection. as a u.s. citizen, i have the protection of my colleagues in mexico lack. colleagues across the border will openly say there is no protection. there's no guarantee from the government against be the cartels so they decided not write anything, not do anything. and i'm not braver. i'm not more courageous than my colleagues in mexico but i think i have more protection and try to taked a advantage of that protection to try to continue

telling stories and educate reader and viewers in the united states about the border. >> host: you can read mr. corchado in dallas newspaper. hill yap, native or laredo, good morning. >> caller: good morning, grn mr. corchado. >> guest: morning. >> caller: i was just calling to say that i was raised in laredo, texas, and all my entire family still lives there. >> guest: it's a beautiful city. >> caller: it's beautiful. i was just there in 2014 to a visit my family. what i also want to say about f all this comment that it's mexicans and mexicans and mexicans, it's not just mexicans. here in charleston, south carolina, i'm a professional spanish interpreter, and a lot of the families are also from the honduras, they're from guatemala, they come here and they also speak dialects which

i'm not familiar with, but this is what i do here in charleston as a professional interpreter. i just wish they would stop saying it's mexicans and mexicans because it's not just mexicans.ju it's everybody and it's just not from the latin countries. it's from other countries, because everybody wants to come to the united states for the american dream. >> host: okay, lily, let me ask you. cubans who -- right there at the laredo border they're seeing a big uptick in the amount of cubans traveling through mexico on their way to the united states. >> guest: right. we're seeing cubans -- we see different parts of the border. always one region -- laredo, i el paso as also become a big area for cubans to come in. it's never-ending. it's always the gateway to a better life.

my mother always believed the borders re-invent ourselves or re-invent people. that's what a lot of immigrants continue to do. also always tell my colleagues, it's presidential campaign sometime the border is the big piñata. you've hit and it then see the phone numbers go up, so i'm not surprised that the border becomes that focus, often times hatred and miscommunication and misunderstanding, and i -- my applaud to c-span for deading su much time to the border and trying to educate people about the border and the realities on the border for those who don't know much about this region. a region still very much isolated, very much misin other words and also a region -- mr. misunderstood.or i am a border resident, and the border has defined me in i think in better ways, made me a made e

biculture, biling well personn and more sympathetic of people on both sides of the border, and i hope miswrite little can become the bridge. >> host: the book my mr. corchado midnight in mexico." thank you very much for the conversation this morning and joining us live there from laredo, texas. >> guest: my pleasure. thank you very much. >> you're watching booktv on c-span2. with top nonfiction books and authors every weekend. booktv, television for serious readers. >> this weekend, on booktv, we're live tomorrow with author and publisher, steve forbes. he will talk about his books and answer your question. on "offered words" mitch mcconnell discusses his philosophy politics. and "60 minutes" correspondent looks at the changing role of

grandparents, and also this weekend, the son of the late author and journalist, hunter s. thompson, remembers his father. form are state department official reports on the growing influence of china and india, and booktv visits las vegas to talk with hall authors and tour the city's literary sites. just a few of the authors on booktv this weekend. booktv, 48 hours of nonfiction books and authors. television for serious readers. donald trump talked about books he is reading first, unlikeable, by edward cline, former editor of "the new york times" magazine, taking a critical look at hillary clinton. mr. trump re-readingreading the, pi all quiet on the western front putt.

the book is an account of a german soldier serving during world war one. mr. trump described the novel as one of the greatest books of all-time. he also mentioned he is reading a biography of form are president richmond nixon elm that's what donald trump is reading this summer. >> what do you do? >> guest: i am the vp executive director of publicity and a senior editor. >> host: what does that mean. >> guest: that means i run our publicity group and then i try and acquire books. >> host: all right. well, we wanted to talk to you on booktv about the books coming out this season. but tell us one book you have been working on as an editor. >> guest: just turned in a final edit on a woman looking at men looking at women. and she's very interesting. most people know her as a novellest, the last booker prize for the blazes world but she leads a double life and is one

of the most respected thinkers and writers in the field of neuroethics and neural row science. there's an a section on art criticism. and a section on neuroscience. and a final section on psychology and philosophy. and are a response to the age-old mind, body question. >> host: of course, siri is from -- so what are some of the books that simon and schuster has coming out. >> guest: we have a great list. result focus on a few in the minutes we have together. probably the biggest book or the most anticipated would be produce spring steen's "born to road. "a little musician some people heard out out of new jersey, and by born to run" is his first book and probably the thing that most people want to know now is that he spent seven years writing the book, even before he

thought about finding a publisher, and started writing it after his performance at the super bowl, wrote the book on his own, and in his free time, and when the book came into our hands it was done. and it's everything and more that a -- not only fans of bruce would want to read but anybody who is interested in a cultural and musical history of the nation in the last 30 years, 40 years, will find it fascinate. >> host: getting to go on tour for simon and schuster. >> guest: trying to sort that out. no question we's like to put him in front of his audiences and i know we would like to do it. we haven't figure out where or what we'll do but we expect to. >> host: what's another title? another title is rosa brooks' "how everything became war." she is a fascinating character who did work in the pentagon, also the daughter of barbara

ehrenreich, and marries a peacefully upbringingbringing ad working in war, and the book is about how the lines have blurred between the civilized world and the military world, and so where in former times it was clear what the line between war and peace was. now we have our military all over the world involved not just in engagements with foreign armies or organizations of that kind, but working with ebola in liberia. writing code. doing all sorts of things we never knew our military should or would be involved in. and it raises all sorts of questions about how it impacts our lives as citizens. so, rosa has done a brilliant job of deconstructing the separation between war and peace in the world today.

>> host: so, how many books does simon & schuster publish in a year. >> guest: the number is never the same but averages between 115 to 130 books a year. that's a full year. so i don't have the exact number but let's call it 55 titles. a blend of business, fiction, nonfiction, and all different kinds of books for different readers within the categories. >> host: one more title you want to talk about. >> guest: "wolf boy" by a writer named dan slater. the book grew out of an article dan wrote for the "the new yorker" about two american boys who had been arrested because they had become two of the most dangerous assassins in the cartel in mexico. in this book, slater tracks these two american boys who get involved with the cartel, and the mexican born dea agent who came to states as an illegal,

would was on their tail, and in this cat and mouse, page-turning narrative, what he is rail really doing is asking questions about we their on drugs. and says something leak the bored marry as well be here in chicago. and there was a story about the ohio family that was slain and suspicion those murders may have been committed bay cartel as well. so, whether you're in favor or disinclined to support greater border security for one reason or another, there's no question that any security will only increase the value of the drugs and increase the murder rate in our country. so it's an important issue for everybody. >> host: gary gold steen of simon and schuster. booktv did a book tour of simon & schuster a year or so back. if you want to watch that, go to booktv.org and you can watch the whole tour. >> here's a look at books being

published this week. mary roach looks at military come bat and how scientist address issues like panic, exhaustion, and heat, in "grunt the curious science of humans at war." "sex object" the kole culpist writes about the role that sexism has played in her life and the lives of other women. nigel hamilton examine this contentious relationship between president franklin roosevelt and prime minister winston church kale in "commander in chief. "actress and fox news director, stacy dash, recounts her childhood in the south bronx and how her experiences led her to become a conservative in" there goes any social life. "and" to protect and serve "former seattle police chief talks about the trained relationship between law enforcement and the citizens and why he believes community-based pleasing can help alleviate mistrust.

columbia law professor and pulitzer prize winning journalist linda greenhouse look at the supreme court under warren burger and how its decisions still affect the courts today. and former executive editor of "wired" magazine talks about technological forces that will shape the accurate. and a book about the trial of two klu klux klan members who murdered a black man and had the case set a precedent to challenge other hate groups in " the lynching." [inaudible conversations]