( CNN ) -- A House subcommittee is expected to grill Department of Homeland Security officials about concerns that violence in Mexico may spill over the border into the United States . Mexican federal police patrol last week on the streets of Ciudad Juarez , just across the border from El Paso , Texas . Mexico 's military and police have been embroiled in increasingly violent clashes with drug cartels , which are battling among themselves for control over an ever-growing market in the United States . Rep. Loretta Sanchez , chairwoman of the House committee holding the hearing , said Thursday that what 's happening in Mexico is becoming a growing problem for the United States . `` Well , it certainly has always been a problem at the border , but in the last couple of decades , it 's gotten even worse . Now we see some spillover , just a little bit , coming into the United States , '' she said on CNN 's `` American Morning . '' `` I think it 's time that we make a comprehensive plan to figure out , not just what we do about the violence at the border -- but it 's all tied together with the economy down there , with our economy , ... commerce routes between the two countries . '' The Border , Maritime and Global Counterterrorism Committee hearing on border issues focuses on violence and the transfer of guns from the United States to Mexico to arm the cartels . Sanchez said it 's a crime to sell some of the guns from stores within the United States and traffic them to Mexico . Most of the gun stores selling these weapons , she said , are within a mile of the U.S.-Mexico border . Sanchez suggested looking at what types of guns are being sold in those stores and perhaps instituting some provision against assault weapons . On Wednesday , Vice President Joe Biden talked about drug-related violence in Mexico . `` Since the beginning of last year , there have been nearly 7,000 drug-related murders in Mexico . If we had said that years ago , we would have looked at each other like we were crazy , '' he said . `` Violent drug trafficking organizations are threatening both the United States and Mexican communities . '' Biden made those remarks as he announced the nomination of Gil Kerlikowske as the new White House drug czar , a position that plays a key role in developing and implementing the Southwest border strategy . Last year , more than 1,600 killings occurred in Juarez , three times more than the most murderous city in the United States . And last month , the city 's chief of police was obliged to quit after threats from organized crime to kill a policeman every day that he remained on the job . On Tuesday , five human heads were found in ice chests in the central Mexican state of Jalisco , police said . Growing drug violence has made beheadings in Tijuana , Juarez and other Mexican towns more commonplace over the past year . In recent weeks , the United States , Canada , France , Italy and Germany have issued alerts about travel to Mexico . `` The situation in Ciudad Juarez is of special concern , '' the State Department said in an alert last month . `` Mexican authorities report that more than 1,800 people have been killed in the city since January 2008 . Additionally , this city of 1.6 million people experienced more than 17,000 car thefts and 1,650 carjackings in 2008 . '' Obama on Wednesday told regional newspaper reporters that he would consider sending the National Guard to the border if the situation escalated . `` We 're going to examine whether and if National Guard deployments would make sense and under what circumstances they would make sense , '' Obama said , according to McClatchy Newspapers . `` I do n't have a particular tipping point in mind , '' he told the reporters . `` I think it 's unacceptable if you 've got drug gangs crossing our borders and killing U.S . citizens . '' The president said he did not have any interest in `` militarizing the border . '' `` We expect to have a comprehensive approach to dealing with these issues of border security that will involve supporting [ Mexico President Felipe ] Calderon and his efforts , '' Obama said , according to McClatchy . `` Our expectation is to have a comprehensive policy in place in the next few months . '' Obama and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Adm. Michael Mullen on Saturday discussed how the U.S. military can assist Mexico in addressing growing violence from drug cartels , according to a military official . The president expressed interest in military capabilities that the U.S. has that could help Mexican forces , including intelligence , surveillance and reconnaissance technology , the official said . CNN 's Ismael Estrada , Kristi Keck , Rey Rodriguez and Barbara Starr contributed to this report .
Mexican officials embroiled in increasingly violent clashes with drug cartels . Cartels getting some weapons from stores along the border , congresswoman says . House hearing focuses on security on the border , preventing spread of violence . President Obama says he 'd consider sending in National Guard , but not right now .