:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/Y3RMPNIB6SM4TUO27L4BU7FAYU.jpg "Texas governor urged Biden to designate drug cartels in Mexico as terrorists 1")
the governor of Texas, Greg Abbottjoined this Thursday the request of several republican senators so that the government of UNITED STATES designate the Mexican drug cartels as organizations The Terrorists international (FTO).
Through his Twitter account, the controversial president from the Republican Party, mentioned the murder two of four US citizens who were kidnapped a few days ago by alleged elements of the Gulf Cartel in the town of matamorosTamaulipas.
Apparently, the above because of “confusion”, although in the past few hours it turned out that the victims had a criminal record and they could be part of another criminal group, but so far this has not been confirmed.
Abbott recalled that the Texas government has already designated the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Next Generation Cartel (CJNG) as terrorist organizations since September 2022, for which he urged the US President, Joe BidenDo the same thing.
“I have repeatedly urged Biden to do the same (…) It is time for Biden to step up and call these cartels for what they are: terrorists”
It should be mentioned that Abbott has been a harsh critic of the Democratic government for both its handling of the drug trade and the immigration crisis, because unlike Biden, he continued to build the border wall with Mexico. , inherited from the administration of former Republican President Donald Trump.
Naming “terrorists,” the governor ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to establish an anti-Mexican cartel division within the local fusion center to collect and analyze information to enable the arrest, prosecution and disruption of these organizations.
Likewise, he ordered the targeting, seizure, and dismantling of infrastructure, assets, vehicles, and buildings “used by foreign terrorist organizations to smuggle drugs and people into and through Texas.”
According to lawmakers Lindsey Graham and John Neely Kennedypromoters of the proposal, the aim is to be able to activate more mechanisms against cartels, such as allow the US military to step in and fight themeven in Mexican territory.
At a press conference on March 8, they pointed out that the turning point that led them to accelerate this action was the fentanyl boomwhich in 2021 killed more than 100,000 Americans, according to the drug enforcement agency.
Graham even criticized the president’s administration Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as a “narco-terrorist state”, which facilitates the transfer of drugs to the United States.
“Fentanyl is a weapon of mass destruction that comes from your country. You allow these groups to operate with impunity. We ask you to help us.”
According to their list, the cartels they are considering registering as “terrorists” are: Sinaloathat of Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), that of gulf, The Zetasthat of northeastthat of Juarezthat of Tijuanathat of Beltran Leyva there The Michoacan family.
“They terrorized Americans for decades. We will destroy their economic model and their way of life because our national security depends on decisive action,” he said.
However, the spokesperson for The White HouseKarine Jean-Pierre, assured a few hours later that to designate the Mexican cartels as international terrorist organizations it would be uselesssince said designation he would not add new powers to combat them.
“The United States has powerful sanctions authorities specifically designated to deal with drug trafficking organizations and the individuals and entities that authorize them, so we have not been afraid to use them,” the spokesperson added. .
Currently, Mexican drug cartels are already designated under two laws that impose similar sanctions on terrorist entities: first, the Drug Lords Act (Ley pillar) and the list of priority consolidated objectives (CPOTfor its acronym in English) of the United States Department of Justice.
Under the current anti-cartel designations according to these latest lists, the U.S. government already has the same capabilities against Mexican cartels that a terrorist designation would give them: freeze assets under its jurisdiction, prohibit entry into its territory and establish monetary penalties.