Congressman: Classify Mexican Drug Cartels As Terrorist Groups

Now this sounds like an excellent idea.

“Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX) has introduced legislation seeking to place six Mexican drug cartels – the Arellano Feliz Organization, Los Zetas, the Beltran Leyva Organization, La Familia Michoacana, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Gulf Cartel – on the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list.

According to McCaul, this designation would allow the United States to limit cartels’ financial, property and travel interests, and to impose harsher punishment on anyone who provides material support to cartels.

“The cartels use violence to gain political and economic influence. They have taken control of much of northern Mexico and spillover crime has resulted in the abandonment of property and loss of security on the US side of the border,” said McCaul, chairman of the Homeland Security Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. “This designation will provide the necessary tools to effectively advance the national security interests of both Mexico and the United States.”

Rep. McCaul, a former federal prosecutor, introduced the legislation on the eve of his hearing examining the United States’ role in the Mexico’s fight against the cartels.

Since 2006 the cartels have killed nearly 35,000 people in Mexico. Over the past year they have killed three individuals (including two U.S. citizens) connected to the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez, a gubernatorial candidate in the state of Tamaulipas, 12 sitting mayors and one U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent.

According to a press release issued by McCaul’s office, Mexican drug cartels “operate in the same manner as al Qaeda, the Taliban or Hezbollah, each sharing a desire and using similar tactics to gain political and economic influence. They actively affect political, judicial and law enforcement in Mexico. They employ the same tactics as other organizations designated as FTOs – kidnappings, political assassinations, attacks on civilian and military targets, taking over cities and even putting up checkpoints in order to control territory and institutions. Torture, beheadings, dismemberment and mutilation are common tactics that they use to intimidate civilians and government officials.”

You can read more here.