On February 8, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) issued a statement calling for the Pentagon to focus its military resources on dismantling the leadership of the Jalisco Cartel.
Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) has now joined him and introduced companion legislation in the House.
The bill requires the Department of Defense (DoD) to report to Congress every 90 days on their progress in eliminating the leadership of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. You can find the original bill text here.
According to Senator Cotton, Mexican drug cartels have a higher death toll of Americans than any terrorist group in history. He specifically mentions the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as being particularly violent and a direct threat to American security in border states and beyond. Senator Cotton believes that the Biden administration needs to create a strategy to ensure that these murderers are held accountable for their actions.
Luttrell emphasized that cartels are exploiting our border and running extensive operations for human and drug trafficking. He expressed concern that cartel activity poses a significant danger throughout the country.
“The Jalisco cartel, which is considered the most dangerous criminal organization in Mexico and the second most powerful drug cartel, needs to be identified and dismantled in order to protect the American people. This new legislation emphasizes that the Jalisco cartel cannot continue to operate with impunity at our border, and it highlights the importance of the United States military being prepared to take action and eliminate the cartel if it is deemed necessary to do so. The Armed Forces of our great country may be called upon to intervene in order to ensure the safety and security of our nation.”
The cartel continues to diversify its illicit activities, but it still generates significant profits from cocaine and methamphetamine.
The JNGC has faced scrutiny from federal and state lawmakers on multiple occasions.
In 2019, Rep. Chip Roy from Texas introduced a bill that aimed to designate the cartel, along with the Gulf Cartel and the Cártel del Noreste faction of Los Zetas, as foreign terrorist organizations.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump showed an “interest” in officially designating the cartels as such, but he hesitated under pressure from Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.