21 Attorneys General Call on Biden to Designate Mexican Drug Cartels as Terrorist Orgs

In a bid to rectify the chaos caused by President Joe Biden’s open border policies, 21 Republican attorneys general are formally requesting the federal government designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

In a Let me know On Wednesday, the Republican coalition sent an inquiry to Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG, and other similarly situated Mexican drug cartels be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations” Under federal law, both federal and state law enforcement agencies could be granted “increased powers to freeze cartel assets, deny entry to cartel members, and allow prosecutors to pursue tougher punishments against those who provide material support to the cartels.”

“Traditional counter-narcotics efforts are inadequate to address the threat posed by the Mexican drug cartels,” According to the document. “Now that the cartels have made widespread use of assassinations and armed insurgency against the Mexican government, FTO designation is the only way to disrupt these increasingly violent cartel tactics and weaken their criminal enterprise.”

The Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares is the lead signer of the letter. He also points out the alarming rise American drug overdoses, mainly those that are caused by highly trafficked synthetic opioids like Fentanyl. According to Figures from the Drug Enforcement Administration, 66 percent of America’s more than 100,000 overdose deaths last fiscal year were related to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 8,425 lbs of fentanyl that had been smuggled into America through the U.S. Mexico border.

“The threat these drug cartels pose is real and imminent—which is why this country must escalate its response,” Miyares stated in a Statement. “Law enforcement agencies need every tool available to fight against this public health and national security crisis, and designating these cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations would be an important first step in confronting the gravity of this dangerous crisis.”

While Mexico-based cartels trafficking drugs into the U.S. isn’t a new problem, the Biden administration’s open border policies have made it easier. For example, in June 2021, the administration Announcement It would end Trump’s era “Remain in Mexico” policy that required illegal border crossings seeking asylum to remain in the Latin American country up until their court hearing. The administration has also sought to eliminate Title 42, a health policy that allows federal officials to expel illegal migrants with minimal processing.

These policies have led to an increase in illegal border crossing attempts, which has forced CBP officials into prioritizing processing lawbreakers over security. The agency reported that December was its best month. Processed More than 250,000 illegal immigrants were arrested, which is a 7 percent increase over the previous month. CBP officials alone will increase their fiscal year 2022 budget by 7 percent. reported A staggering 2.3 million people were apprehensive, compared to the 1.7million reported in 2021.

Shawn Fleetwood, a staff writer for The Federalist, is a graduate of The University of Mary Washington. He is also a Convention of States Action state content writer. His work has been featured on numerous outlets including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him @ShawnFleetwood