Paxton sends message to Joe Biden and Anthony Blinken to declare violent Mexican drug cartels and treat them as foreign terrorist organizations

Austin, Texas — Attorney General Paxton has joined a coalition led by the states of Virginia and sent a letter to Joe Biden and Anthony Blinken asking them to designate violent Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

Mexican cartels are the main driving force behind the spread of fentanyl and use extreme violence to achieve their goals. Their heinous actions have resulted in the deaths of thousands of Americans, both directly and indirectly. The letter specifically mentions the activities of the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and acknowledges that other cartels should also be designated as terrorist organizations.

If these cartels are classified as foreign terrorist organizations, then federal and state law enforcement will have more aggressive tools to stop the violence and smuggling fentanyl across our southern border. The letter stressed that the change in position and designation would give these agencies “enhanced powers to freeze cartel assets, deny entry to cartel members, and allow prosecutors to impose harsher penalties on those who provide material support to cartels.”

Under the Biden administration, Mexican cartels have plucked up courage like never before, and it is vital to take decisive action to protect the American public from these terrorist organizations.

The letter reads: “Together, the devastating status quo caused by fentanyl and violence claims hundreds of thousands of American lives every year. This catastrophic loss of life is unforgivable, but it has drawn a lukewarm response from the federal government. To protect Americans from these terrorist organizations, you must take strong action against the Mexican drug cartels by designating the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and other such cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.”

Attorney General Paxton also previously sent a letter asking the Biden administration to recognize fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction and take further steps to combat the spread of the lethal drug.

To read the letter in full, click here.