Congressman Chip Roy's Push for "Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act"
In a statement to Fox News, Roy stated, "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." The proposed legislation, called the Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act, would declare the Cartel Del Noreste, the Cartel de Sinaloa, and the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion as foreign terrorist organizations.
The Porosity of the U.S. Border and its Effects
The porous U.S. border has become a major issue as it is being used as a dumping ground for deadly fentanyl moved by the cartels. In 2022, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced the seizure of enough fentanyl to kill every American. Texas border sheriffs have reported a "tsunami of death" in their communities.
The Potential Impact of the Bill
Roy's bill currently has 21 House co-sponsors and, if passed into law, would offer new tools for the federal government to tackle the violence caused by the cartels along the southern border. In his statement, Roy emphasized the inhumane methods used by the cartels, saying, "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."
