Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Monday he will introduce legislation laying the groundwork to use U.S. military force against Mexican drug cartels and foreign terrorist organizations.
Graham said he would follow in the footsteps of former President Donald Trump in his handling of Mexico.
“I’d do what Trump did,” Graham said. “I’d put Mexico on notice—if you continue to give a safe haven to fentanyl drug dealers, then you are an enemy of the United States.”
“Almost all illicit drugs coming into the U.S. are controlled by the Mexican cartels, principally those based in the states of Sinaloa and Jalisco,” Barr wrote. “These paramilitary organizations use bribery and terror tactics to entrench themselves as essentially states within the state, controlling large areas of Mexico.”
An anti-drug strategy that leaves the supply chain untouched will have minimal impact, Barr argued.
“At least under President Trump, he established control over that border. He had to fight like hell for three years to do it—against every district court judge in the country that wanted to try to impede him—but he finally got control of that border,” Barr said.
Though Graham did not specify details on the legislation, he said he would follow Barr’s advice and “get tough on Mexico.”
Graham’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
