Who are the Mexican cartels and how dangerous are they?

For the first time in our history, our national leaders are refusing to take action against a foreign adversary that is killing Americans. This enemy is not an army, it has no government, no borders and no mercy. Cartels care only about one thing — profit. And they are using weaknesses along our border due to the failed policies of the Biden administration to wreak havoc throughout our communities, victimizing the vulnerable and intimidating everybody else. Under the Biden administration, these cartels aren’t only being enriched, they are being emboldened. 

As the Homeland Security Committee’s report on cartels demonstrates, these organizations pose a bigger threat to American lives than any foreign dictator or government. There is not a single state in our country untouched by cartel activity. 

Cartels are ruthless killers. Last month, members of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) abducted five young men in Mexico and attempted to force them to carry out cartel operations. When the men refused, all five were beheaded. This is a level of evil we haven’t witnessed since the rise of ISIS. Instead of being thousands of miles away, this evil is right here on our border, and should be one of the top priorities of those charged with defending the American homeland.

The Sinaloa and CJNG cartels are Mexico’s most powerful drug empires. They specialize in manufacturing and distributing illicit drugs, human trafficking and smuggling weapons across the U.S. border. These two cartels are responsible for the vast majority of fentanyl flooding our communities. Fentanyl remains a leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-46. So far in fiscal year 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has seized 24,109 pounds of fentanyl —enough to kill 5.4 billion people.

In my home state, more than five Arizonans die of an opioid overdose every single day. Tragically, in 2023, 951 lives have been claimed in Arizona by opioids. Most of these deaths are a result of fentanyl poisoning. But the cartels don’t care about the human cost. They don’t care about the lives they’ve taken. All they care about is their revenue stream.

Americans must understand just how powerful these groups are. The cartels control travel throughout the vast majority of Mexico. The same goes for the Southwest border. Migrants approaching our border are forced to interact with the cartels at some point and are usually forced to pay a steep price. In addition, smugglers regularly abuse the women and children put in their care. And some never make it to the border at all. 

This is who the drug cartels are and Joe Biden has allowed them to take hold of our Southwest border. The cartels pay close attention to our national politics, and they are cheering on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

The longer the Biden administration remains in power, the richer and more powerful these cartels will become.

Eli Crane represents the 2nd District of Arizona and is a member of the House Homeland Security Committee.