By ABC-7's Angela Kocherga

The new U.S. ambassador to Mexico has just wrapped up a two-day tour of the border area, including visits to El Paso and Juarez.

Speaking at UTEP, Carlos Pascual focused on the need for a comprehensive strategy to fight the cartels.  He has been U.S. Ambassador to Mexico for just two months but has been with the State Department for 23 years, helping the U.S. in its effort to rebuild societies in transition from conflict.

In his speech, Pascual discussed the U.S. effort to help Mexico fight powerful drug cartels, stressing not just law enforcement but also education and economic opportunities as important tools in the battle.

"What struck me most after the short time I was in Juarez was not the threat of the violence. It was the threat of what occurs if you lose a whole generation, a whole generation of kids now 14 years old to 25 years old," said Pascual.

During his border tour, the ambassador examined a mural project in a poor Juarez neighborhood; it is the kind of place where drug cartels find young recruits.

That kind of place, the ambassador says, is where community building is just as critical as any crackdown.