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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

February 22, 2023

www.texasattorneygeneral.gov




*PRESS OFFICE: (512) 463-2050*

[email protected]





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*Paxton Sends Message to Joe Biden and Antony Blinken Demanding that Violent Mexican Drug Cartels be Designated and Treated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations?*

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AUSTIN ??Attorney General Paxton has joined a Virginia-led multistate coalition in sending a letter to Joe Biden and Antony Blinken requesting that violent Mexican cartels be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).??

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Mexican cartels are a main driver in the distribution of fentanyl and have used extreme violence to achieve their ends. Their heinous acts have caused the deaths of thousands of Americans?both directly and indirectly. The letter specifically references the actions of the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, while also recognizing other cartels ought to be designated as terrorist organizations as well.??

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Classifying these cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations would equip both federal and state law enforcement agencies with more aggressive tools to stop the violence and importation of fentanyl from across our southern border. The letter highlights that a change in posture and designation would grant these agencies ?increased powers to freeze cartel assets, deny entry to cartel members, and allow prosecutors to pursue tougher punishments against those who provide material support to the cartels.??

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Under the Biden Administration, Mexican cartels have been emboldened like never before, and it is vital that drastic actions be taken to protect the American public from these terrorist organizations.??

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The letter states: ?Collectively, the destructive status quo caused by fentanyl and violence is costing hundreds of thousands of American lives each year. This catastrophic loss of life is inexcusable, yet it has received an anemic response from the federal government. To protect Americans from these terrorist organizations, you must take decisive action against the Mexican drug cartels by designating the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and other similarly situated cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.??

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Attorney General Paxton also previously sent [ [link removed] ] a letter requesting that the Biden Administration designate fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction and take further steps to combat the distribution of the lethal drug.?

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To read the full letter, click here [ [link removed] ].??

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