Under the Biden Administration, we have seen a dramatic increase in illegal immigration and dangerous drugs trafficked into the United in only a few years with little being done to stop it. The GOP is fed up and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) recently introduced legislation that would designate Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
The legislation titled “Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act” would designate the Reynosa/Los Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel, the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas, the Cartel de Sinaloa, and the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the State Department.
If any other cartels meet the designation criteria, the State Department would be required by law to submit “a detailed report on each of the drug cartels listed.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the kidnaping of Americans in Mexico, Roy said “this clearly illustrates the fact that cartels are no longer just drug-running gangs.”
“They are bold enough to kidnap and kill foreign nationals in broad daylight; there is no limit to the inhumane methods they will use to achieve their ultimate end — profiting off of human suffering. This most recent atrocity adds to the already massive human toll including 72,000 dead Americans from fentanyl poisoning, more than 1,000 dead migrants along our border, and countless human and sex trafficking victims,” the Congressman said.
“Enough words,” Roy said. “It’s time for Congress to act.”
After the recent kidnapping of four Americans, and two were killed in a rescue attempt, Senators Rick Scott (R-Florida) and Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) reintroduced the legislation to their colleagues.
“For too long, Biden’s botched border policies have prioritized criminals and cartels over legal immigration and Americans’ safety,” Senator Scott said. “Dictators, cartels and bad guys around the world know that Biden is a weak appeaser with open border policies. They’re taking full advantage by trafficking evil drugs like fentanyl across the southern border, poisoning our communities and killing our loved ones. Those who knowingly distribute these highly lethal drugs are declaring war on Americans and deserve to be held accountable and classified as the terrorists they are.”
“What happened in Mexico yesterday was a tragedy and a symptom of a larger problem stemming from the culture supported by our national leadership,” said Senator Marshall in a statement. “The drug cartels have taken full advantage of the culture of lawlessness Joe Biden has created by leaving our southern border wide open, promoting cashless bail, defunding the police, turning his back on violent riots, and denying the fentanyl crisis is created by his policies.”
“No wonder the cartels think they can get away with this violence towards American citizens because, for over two years, they’ve seen zero accountability from Joe Biden,” he continued. “The White House continues to be derelict in its duty to execute the law faithfully and protect the homeland, which is why our country needs the Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act to give federal authorities more power to preserve every Americans’ safety and security.”
The designation of an FTO would mean the Mexican cartels would be treated like “ISIS and its affiliates, Al Qaeda and the Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia — People’s Army,” Fox News reported.
“It’s long past time to designate these cartels as the terrorists they are and give U.S. authorities the tools needed to take them down,” Congressman Roy said. “That’s why I started pushing the Trump administration for FTO designations during my first few months in Congress, why I introduced this legislation last Congress, and why I’m introducing it again.”
In a recent press briefing, the White House press secretary claimed the designation would just be a waste of time. “Designating these cartels as [foreign terrorist organizations] would not grant us any additional authorities that we don’t really have at this time. The United States has powerful sanctions authorities specifically designated to combat narcotics trafficking organizations and the individuals and entities that enable them. So, we have not been afraid to use them.”