FIRST ON FOX: Will Hurd, a presidential candidate for 2024, is advocating for the United States to classify cartels and human smugglers as terrorist organizations. This proposal is part of Hurd’s border strategy to address the ongoing crisis at the southern border. Hurd, a former congressman with firsthand experience representing a district along the U.S.-Mexico border, criticizes politicians for their inaction on both sides of the aisle when it comes to the border crisis. He believes that actions speak louder than mere sound bites.
Hurd’s strategy prioritizes the treatment of cartels, human smugglers, and drug traffickers in a similar manner as terrorist groups like al Qaeda. Drawing from his experience as a former spy in the CIA, Hurd emphasizes the necessity of utilizing the full capabilities of the intelligence community to disrupt and dismantle these networks in Mexico and the Northern Triangle. He asserts that the cartels pose a direct national security threat to Americans and argues for them to be addressed accordingly.
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“During my time in the Middle East, I actively pursued terrorists. It is crucial that we engage in a similar pursuit at our borders, leveraging the intelligence community’s capabilities to dismantle the networks in Mexico and the Northern Triangle. We must treat cartels just as we treated the Taliban and Al Qaeda, recognizing them as terrorist organizations with a direct impact on our national security,” Hurd declares.
The United States has grappled with a migrant crisis at the southern border for several years, exacerbated by Mexican cartels’ control over significant portions of the border and their facilitation of smuggling activities, not only for migrants but also for dangerous drugs like fentanyl. Illicit fentanyl lies at the core of the opioid epidemic in America, claiming thousands of lives each year. This highly potent drug, produced primarily in Mexico using Chinese precursors, is smuggled across the land border.
In the current fiscal year, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has already seized 22,000 lbs of fentanyl, an increase from 14,000 lbs in FY 2022 and 10,000 lbs in FY ’21. Hurd highlights the rising death toll caused by these drugs in the United States and the increased profits of drug cartels. He calls for stringent measures treating the smuggling of such drugs as equivalent to possessing or using weapons of mass destruction.
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“To combat the smuggling of illegal drugs like opioids, we must impose penalties comparable to those imposed on terrorists who manufacture, possess, or deploy a weapon of mass destruction against our citizens,” Hurd asserts.
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In addition to penalties, Hurd emphasizes the importance of improving security measures at both the southern and northern borders. He references his previous advocacy for using sentry towers at these borders and underscores the need to leverage new technologies for securing each mile. Moreover, he proposes auditing natural impediments that hinder visual detection, investing in existing ports of entry to strengthen infrastructure, establishing new ports of entry to alleviate congestion and enhance security screenings, and strengthening partnerships with state and local law enforcement through increased investments in Operation Stonegarden, a federal grant program for local law enforcement agencies.
The final aspect of Hurd’s plan focuses on addressing the root causes of migration. He calls for existing foreign aid programs to specifically target violence, lack of economic opportunity, and poverty in the countries from which migrants are originating, emphasizing the financial benefits of addressing these issues before they manifest as crises within the United States.
“By tackling these problems overseas, we can mitigate the cost and impact of these issues on our own soil,” Hurd argues.
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Hurd’s plan represents the latest development in the 2024 Republican presidential field, where border security and the migrant crisis continue to be prominent issues. Other candidates, such as Senator Tim Scott and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have also made the border a central focus of their campaigns. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has unveiled her own comprehensive plan addressing border and immigration concerns. Additionally, former President Donald Trump recently visited the border to inspect wall construction that began during his administration but was halted by the Biden administration.
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