Governor Greg Abbott put President Joe Biden on notice and issued an executive order designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations and instructing the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to take immediate action to keep Texans safe in the growing national fentanyl crisis.
Abbott said: “Fentanyl is a clandestine killer, and Texans are falling victim to the Mexican cartels that are producing it. Cartels are terrorists, and it’s time we treated them that way.
“In fact, more Americans died from fentanyl poisoning in the past year than all terrorist attacks across the globe in the past 100 years. In order to save our country, particularly our next generation, we must do more to get fentanyl off our streets.”
Abbott also sent a letter to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris requesting federal terrorist classifications for the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and other cartels producing and distributing deadly fentanyl.
The Governor was joined by DPS Director Steve McCraw, DPS Regional Director West Texas Region Jose Sanchez, Midland County Judge Terry Johnson, Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis.
Fentanyl is killing our communities, & drug cartels are responsible.
Yesterday, I designated drug cartels as terrorist organizations & directed @TxDPS to target cartel operations.
It's time for Biden to do the same & join the fight to eliminate the scourge of fentanyl. pic.twitter.com/ub2sJCseiL
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 22, 2022
Midland County Sheriff Chief Deputy Benny Matlock, Odessa Police Chief Mike Gerke, Midland Police Chief Seth Herman, and Midland Memorial Hospital District Police Chief Steve McNeill.
Governor Abbott also directed DPS and law enforcement agencies to identify Texas gangs that support Mexican drug cartels and seize their assets.
He believes this will disrupt the cartel networks operating in Texas communities who have poisoned thousands of Texans unwittingly with counterfeit pills laced with the deadly synthetic opioid.
With Mexican drug cartels disguising fentanyl as counterfeit pills and targeting children with “rainbow fentanyl” pills, the Governor told Biden that immediate decisive action is needed to combat this deadly crisis impacting the nation.
Yesterday, the Governor sent a letter to state agency leaders directing them to ramp up efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis by preparing for the next legislative session with statutory changes, budget priorities, and other initiatives that will enhance Texas’ ability to combat fentanyl deaths across the state.
The letter further directs state agencies to coordinate efforts to raise awareness of fentanyl’s lethality and prevalence.
See the letter to Joe Biden here.
With Gov. Greg Abbott declaring drug cartels as terrorists, this will situate local, state, and federal law enforcement in "very clear focus that this is now their priority," Newsmax border correspondent Jaeson Jones reports. pic.twitter.com/gVUPUKQbeb
— Newsmax (@newsmax) September 22, 2022
Texas Army National Guardsmen search for cartel scouts along the Rio Grande.
Cartels, smugglers, & human traffickers are profiting off Biden’s dangerous open border policies.
While Biden continues to FAIL, Texas continues to step up to secure our border. pic.twitter.com/U0KqJ5ql4d
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 23, 2022
