Republican Rivals Propose Stringent Measures Against Mexico Over Fentanyl Crisis

Ron DeSantis Calls for Deadly Measures Against Suspected Drug Smugglers at US-Mexico Border

Presidential candidates are making bold promises and threats against Mexico in response to the trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Ron DeSantis wants suspected drug smugglers to be shot dead, while Nikki Haley pledges to deploy special forces into Mexico. According to Vivek Ramaswamy, if he becomes elected president, Mexico’s leader will no longer have drug cartels as his “sugar daddy.” This aggressive rhetoric echoes Donald Trump’s long-standing approach to border issues, blaming Mexico for problems in the US and vowing to utilize military force and covert action if he returns to the White House. These views are shared by many of the GOP presidential candidates.

Overdoses of synthetic opioids claimed the lives of over 75,000 people in the US last year, a figure more than 20 times higher than a decade ago. Riled families, who have lost loved ones to fentanyl, welcome the candidates’ tough stance as they feel the US has not adequately addressed the crisis. However, nonpartisan experts caution against the use of military force, arguing that it fosters racism and xenophobia, hindering efforts to combat drug trafficking. According to Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico’s ambassador to the US from 2007 to 2013, this combustible mixture between political posturing and Mexico’s lax response is a dangerous combination.

Andrea Thomas tragically lost her daughter at the age of 32 after she unknowingly took a counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl. Determined to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, Thomas founded the Voices for Awareness foundation. She asserts that people she knows are interested in the candidates’ proposals and believe that President Biden’s administration has not adequately responded to the crisis. Alongside various advocacy groups, Thomas has penned a letter urging the politicians to take decisive action to halt the manufacturing and smuggling of the drug.

DeSantis has gone so far as to promise that suspected drug smugglers at the southern border would end up “stone cold dead.” This raises concerns about border agents being authorized to shoot individuals without any investigation into whether they are carrying drugs. However, US government data contradicts the claim that asylum seekers and other border crossers are responsible for drug trafficking. The majority of fentanyl seizures occur at official land crossings, not between illegal points of entry. According to James Mandryck of Customs and Border Protection, 73% of fentanyl seizures at the border were attempted by US citizens, with the rest being carried out by Mexican citizens.