Graham to Introduce Bill Designating Cartels as Terrorist Groups, Setting Stage for Military Force

Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said Monday he plans to introduce legislation that will designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist groups, setting the stage for the U.S. to use military force against the criminal organizations if necessary.

Graham appeared on Fox News to react to the news that four Americans were kidnapped in Matamoros, Mexico, with shocking footage showing armed men dragging the U.S. citizens into a white pickup truck. Governor of the Mexican state Tamaulipas, Américo Villarreal, confirmed that two of the four have since been found dead, the Associated Press reported. The other two were found alive.

“Number one. I’d do everything I could to get them back,” Graham explained to Jesse Waters.

“I would do what Trump did. I would put Mexico on notice. If you continue to give safe haven to fentanyl drug dealers, then you’re an enemy of the United States. Seventy to one hundred thousand people have died from fentanyl poisoning coming from Mexico and China and this administration has done nothing about it,” he added.

Graham pointed to an interventionist anti-cartel strategy proposed last week by former attorney general Bill Barr in the Wall Street Journal.

“[Following Bill Barr’s idea,] I’m going to introduce legislation, Jesse, to make certain Mexican drug cartels foreign terrorist organizations under U.S. law and set the stage to use military force if necessary to protect America from being poisoned by things coming out of Mexico,” he said.

In his op-ed, Barr explained that proscribing these cartels is not enough.

“These narco-terrorist groups are more like ISIS than like the American mafia. Case-by-case prosecution of individuals can be a part of an overall effort, but the only way to defeat them is to use every tool at our disposal inside Mexico,” wrote Barr. “Merely designating the cartels as terrorist groups will do nothing by itself. The real question is whether we are willing to go after them as we would a terrorist group.”

“A far more aggressive American effort inside Mexico than ever before [is needed], including a significant U.S. law-enforcement and intelligence presence, as well as select military capabilities,” added Barr. “Optimally, the Mexican government will support and participate in this effort, and it is likely to do so once they understand that the U.S. is committed to do whatever is necessary to cripple the cartels, whether or not the Mexican government participates.”

During his Senate Judiciary hearing last week, Attorney General Merrick Garland admitted to Graham that current policies are not stopping fentanyl from killing Americans.

“It’s a horrible epidemic, but it’s an epidemic that’s been released on purpose by the Sinaloa and the new generation Jalisco cartels,” Garland said.

While the attorney general agreed that fentanyl should not lose its Schedule I status, he demurred on raising mandatory minimums.

Additionally, asked if he would be opposed to Graham and his colleagues designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, Garland explained he wouldn’t be opposed, but added “there are diplomatic concerns. We need the assistance of Mexico in this…They are helping us, but they could do much more.”

“If this helping, I would hate to see what not helping looks like,” Graham retorted.

The cartels also promise to be a live issue in the 2024 presidential race. One Republican candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, has already pledged to use justified military force to decimate them “Osama bin Laden-style, [Qasem] Soleimani-style.”

Graham concluded by sending a direct warning to Mexico.

“I would tell the Mexican government: If you don’t clean up your act, we’re gonna clean it up for you,” Graham said.