Support for using military action against Mexican cartels has grown within the Republican party. Florida Rep. Mike Waltz (R) and Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R) joined forces to introduce legislation that would authorize such measures. Texas Rep. Chip Roy (R) praised the effort, calling the cartels “terrorist organizations.”
Rep. Roy was approached about, at the time, the forthcoming legislation, explaining that he agreed with Waltz and Crenshaw’s effort for the government to use military action against Mexican cartels. Roy explained that he has supported legislation that would designate cartels as “terrorist organizations,” saying that they pose a great threat not only to the United States but to immigrants as well.
“I’m certainly for the consideration of how we can use the appropriate powers,” Roy commented, adding that this could include the military and special forces to ward off and stop the cartels. He further mentioned that the cartels “need to have their knees knocked out from under them” for numerous reasons.
“They’re a danger to the United States. They’re empowering China. They’re killing Americans. They’re allowing the danger to increase for migrants. Migrants are dying because of cartels,” Roy explained.
The Texas Republican noted that his commitment is to ensure the U.S. does “whatever we need to do to actually secure the border.” However, Roy did mention that using military action “appropriately, within reason, recognizing that anytime you’re invoking the military… the stakes have been raised."
For him, the stakes have in fact been raised as he echoed in his colleagues' remarks.
Both Waltz and Crenshaw have urged the United States to take such action, citing that Mexican cartels are waging a war against our officials. In a statement, Crenshaw stated that “the situation at our southern border has become untenable for our law enforcement personnel largely due to the activities spurred by the heavily armed and well financed Sinola and Jalisco cartels.”
