‘Era of Open Borders Is Over’: Sen. Joni Ernst, Rep. Juan Ciscomani Propose to Crack Down on Cartels, Border Patrol Surveillance

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) on Thursday proposed legislation aimed at combatting Mexican cartels’ surveillance of border patrol agents, Breitbart News has learned exclusively.

Ernst and Ciscomani proposed the Transnational Criminal Organization Illicit Spotter Prevention and Elimination Act, a bill that hopes to tackle surveillance of border patrol agents.

Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC), John Barrasso (R-WY), and James Lankford (R-OK) are the Senate cosponsors of the bill.

Cartel spotters are an essential part of the operation of drug cartels; however, there is no law specifically prohibiting or penalizing spotters for assisting drug cartels another the southern border. Additionally, there have been reports of cartels installing communication devices on cell towers on the border to help them evade law enforcement.

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“I’m putting cartels on notice – the era of open borders is over,” Ernst said in a written statement to Breitbart News. “Republicans are restoring law and order and securing the homeland by giving border patrol the tools they need to do their job and creating real consequences for criminals. We are going to protect Americans.”

“Drug cartels and other bad actors have developed increasingly sophisticated efforts to evade Customs and Border Protection agents and local law enforcement officers,” Ciscomani told Breitbart News in a written statement.

The legislation would specifically bar:

• Transmitting to another person the location, movement, or activities of law enforcement agents while intending to further a federal immigration crime
• Destroying, altering, or damaging any physical electronic device used by the federal government to control the border or any port of entry
• Carrying or using a firearm in an alien smuggling crime

Spotters play a critical role in the cartel’s drug smuggling operations, including for fentanyl, which is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45 years old.

Breitbart News’s Border team has long chronicled how Mexican cartel smugglers have easily crossed the border.

The reelection of Donald Trump and the Republican takeover over thanks the 2024 elections has served as a mandate for the GOP to combat illegal immigration and crack down on Mexican cartels on the southern border.

Ernst and Ciscomani’s legislation serves as yet another way for the federal government stop the smuggling across the seemingly porous southern border.

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Since the election, House Republicans on Tuesday passed the Laken Riley Act that requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take into custody illegal aliens arrested, charged, or convicted for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The legislation is picking up steam in the Senate, where it appears that many Democrats will allow the bill to be discussed through Congress.

“One aspect I hear often from frontline agents in Arizona is the urgent need to go after “spotters” who help Transnational Criminal Organizations avoid law enforcement by surveilling portions of the border and communicating their positions. This bill, which I am proud to lead in the House, would increase punishments on spotters and sends a powerful message to anyone who is aiding or abetting cartel operations along the southern border that they will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Ciscomani concluded in his statement.