U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) will head a new House Cartel Task Force, which will function under the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and HPSCI Chairman Rick Crawford announced the formation of the Cartel Task Force on Friday. According to a statement from HPSCI, the task force’s mission is to help House Republicans build consensus with the U.S. Senate and the Trump administration on combating the threat posed by various cartels in the Western Hemisphere.
In July 2023, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tapped Crenshaw to had a new Congressional Task force focused on combating the deadly Mexican drug cartels. This year, Crenshaw asked Speaker Johnson to designate the committee as a select committee of the House. He repeatedly promoted the use of military force against Mexican cartels and pushed early on for their designation as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
“I’m glad to see Chairman Crawford build on Republicans’ promise to secure the border by establishing a new Cartel Task Force, led by Congressman Dan Crenshaw. President Biden handed operational control of our southern border to Mexican drug cartels and left Americans with the worst border catastrophe in our nation’s history. President Trump’s swift work to end the lawlessness and reestablish control has proven that strong leadership matters,” said Speaker Johnson.
“Now it is the responsibility of Congress to ensure this good work can continue by providing the President with the tools he needs to dismantle the drug cartels for good. No one has worked harder on this important issue than Congressman Crenshaw, and I am grateful he is willing to continue leading at this pivotal time,” continued Speaker Johnson.
Crenshaw responded to the appointments, saying, “I’m honored to be entrusted by Speaker Johnson and Chairman Crawford to lead this critical effort to defeat the Mexican cartels. For the past two years, my Cartel Task Force has conducted in-depth research on what it will take to eliminate this grave threat to our country.”
“With President Trump back in the White House, now is the time to act to ensure that the Administration has the tools and resources it needs to take the fight directly to the cartels that are ravaging our neighborhoods and killing American kids with fentanyl,” the Texas congressman concluded.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
