Luttrell introduces Jalisco Cartel Neutralization Act

Special to the News-Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, has introduced the Jalisco Cartel Neutralization Act in the House of Representatives.

This legislation would require the Department of Defense to establish a strategy to kill or capture Jalisco cartel leadership and provide a report to Congress on their progress. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas is introducing companion legislation in the Senate.

“Our border is being exploited by cartels, as they run one of the most extensive human and drug trafficking operations in the world, leaving no corner of our country untouched by the danger of cartel activity,” Luttrell said. “The Jalisco cartel, the most dangerous criminal organization in Mexico and second most powerful drug cartel, must be identified and dismantled in order to safeguard the American people.”

The legislation makes clear that the Jalisco cartel cannot remain emboldened at the border and that the United States military must be ready to engage and eliminate the Jalisco cartel, should it be determined the best course of action is to use the Armed Forces of our great country.”

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“Mexican drug cartels continue to kill Americans at a rate higher than any terrorist group in history,” Cotton said. “Even by the standards of drug cartels, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is especially violent and poses a direct threat to the security of Americans in border states and beyond. It’s past time that the Biden administration develops a strategy to hold these murderers accountable.”

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (“El Mencho”), one of the world’s most-wanted drug lords. The cartel is primarily known for drug trafficking, specifically cocaine and methamphetamine.

The cartel has also been known to cannibalize some of its victims, as well as using drones and rocket-propelled grenades to attack its enemies.

As of 2020, the Jalisco cartel is considered to be the most dangerous criminal organization in Mexico and the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico after the Sinaloa Cartel. It is heavily militarized and more violent than other criminal organizations.