A Navy SEAL veteran-turned-congressman is taking action against the growing threat of Mexican drug cartels. His new bill aims to bring transparency to the dangers they pose.
"Thanks to the Biden administration’s open-border policies, dangerous cartels have been running our borders and profiting from human and drug trafficking," Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital.
Luttrell introduced the CARTEL Act to track individuals linked to cartels. It requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to report if anyone on the Terrorist Screening Database was released into the U.S.
The bill also ensures CBP tracks those with cartel ties who attempt illegal crossings. Transparency is key, Luttrell argues. Americans deserve to know the truth.
This move follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The order pushes to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. It states these groups "threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere."
"The Cartels have engaged in a campaign of violence and terror throughout the Western Hemisphere that has not only destabilized countries with significant importance for our national interests but also flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs," the order says.
The order highlights not just Mexican cartels but also gangs from Latin America. Groups like Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and El Salvador’s MS-13 have been expanding their influence. Reports suggest their activity is spreading into the U.S.
Luttrell, a former Navy SEAL, says his bill will expose who is trying to enter the country. It also forces CBP to provide Congress with a full report on terrorist organizations and cartels attempting illegal entry.
The CARTEL Act has strong Republican support. Co-sponsors include Bryan Steil, R-Wis., Daniel Webster, R-Fla., Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., Jen Kiggans, R-Va., Randy Weber, R-Texas, Jack Bergman, R-Mich., Michael McCaul, R-Texas, Brian Babin, R-Texas, and Mike Collins, R-Ga.
"Americans deserve to know exactly who is trying to enter our country," Luttrell said. "The CARTEL Act will provide critical transparency and accountability in the fight to secure our borders and protect our communities."