Bill classifies seven Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-NY) recently introduced legislation classifying seven Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) as defined by section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The Identifying Drug Cartels as Terrorists Act would empower the United States to direct the resources necessary to dismantle the cartels and help to end the flow of drugs coming across the nation’s southern border, which fuels the addiction epidemic in communities.

Authorities said the Gulf Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the Beltran Leyva Cartel, the Juarez Cartel, the Los Zetas Cartel, the Sinaloa Cartel, and the Tijuana Cartel have been described by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as the most prominent in Mexico.

“Mexican drug cartels control the territory along our Southwest Border, spreading drugs and crime, across Mexico and into the United States,” Fitzpatrick said.”These criminal organizations are a menace to society, and we need to do everything in our power to continue to fight them. That is why I am introducing this legislation to officially designate these criminals as foreign terrorist organizations. These criminals bring illegal narcotics, commit atrocious acts of violence, and smuggle humans across our border. They harm lives every day, and it is time we call them what they are: terrorists.”

Once the Department of State labels a group as an FTO, known members are banned from entering the United States.

“So many families have been torn apart by drugs, and these cartels are committing heinous criminal acts,” Brindisi said. “Identifying these traffickers as terrorists will give our law enforcement more tools to crack down on bad actors at our southern border and around the world.”