The Hard Country

Joshua Treviño and Melissa Ford Maldonado discuss the latest headlines surrounding our southern border and beyond, including the “cartel merch” that can be purchased here in the U.S.

Joshua Treviño and Melissa Ford discuss the latest headlines surrounding our southern border, including unprecedented numbers of extreme violence, murder, disappearances and kidnapping at ever increasing frequency.

Joshua Treviño and Melissa Ford explore the history and culture of Melissa's native country of Bolivia, including the rise of socialism under president Evo Morales. They close the show by discussing the exploitation of Mexican dysfunction by foreign actors.

Joshua Treviño and Melissa Ford discuss new footage of armed cartel members trafficking migrants, exploitation of the CBP One app, and former Mexican President Vicente Fox's controversial critiques of AMLO.

Below are the materials referenced in the episode:

• The Laredo City Election and Riot of April, 1886 by Seb. S. Wilcox
• Cartel gunmen near the border
• Cartel gunman in the Rio Grande
• Sheriff’s son pleads guilty to drug trafficking
• Eagle Pass City Council takes back public park
• Migrants being targeted for extortion, US stops taking mobile app appointments
• Mexican cartels exploit US government's CBP One app
• The Meaning of Invasion Under the Compact Clause of the U.S. Constitution

Joshua Treviño and Melissa Ford discuss the latest headlines surrounding our southern border, primarily the controversy surrounding the buoys in the Rio Grande.

Josh and Melissa discuss the risky rhetoric of the U.S. War on Mexican cartels.

Joshua Treviño and Melissa Ford discuss the latest headlines surrounding our southern border, primarily the recently published Conservative US-Mexico Policy Coalition Statement regarding the US - Mexico Relations.

WATCH: John Kennedy's 'Cat Food' Comment That Members Of Mexico's Government Have Called 'Racist'    • WATCH: John Kenne... 
ROY MAYNARD: Yes, Migrants Believe Biden Has Rolled Out A Big Welcome Mat | The Daily Caller
  https://dailycaller.com/2023/05/12/op...
Versión estenográfica de la conferencia de prensa matutina del presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador
  https://lopezobrador.org.mx/2023/05/1...
A middle path to curb fentanyl - POLITICO
  https://www.politico.com/newsletters/....
Tax Dollars & Texas History
  https://www.texashistorytrust.org/tex...

TPPF's Melissa Ford and Joshua Treviño discuss many of the problems stemming from our southern border, beginning with the tale of a raid carried out in Rio Grande City, Texas in August 1877 by a group of armed men of Mexican descent, during which they attacked the county jail and freed notorious criminal Segundo Garza. District attorney Noah Cox was also seriously wounded during the attack. The incident sheds light on the violence and instability that characterized the Texas-Mexico border during this time period.

Joshua Treviño and Melissa Ford discuss the latest headlines surrounding our southern border, culminating to the roots and fun surrounding Cinco de Mayo.

Joshua Treviño and Melissa Ford discuss how such historic moments as the Napoleonic Wars and the writing of the Monroe Doctrine have left lasting impacts on today’s relations between the US and our neighbors to the south.