The Center for Immigration Studies has released a new episode of its Parsing Immigration Policy podcast, featuring Senior National Security Fellow Todd Bensman in conversation with cartel expert and border correspondent Jaeson Jones. The discussion examines the recent designation of six Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and what it means for U.S. national security and immigration policy.
Jones explains how Mexican cartels have evolved into parallel governments, controlling vast territories and fueling the fentanyl crisis with supply chains stretching from China, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. He discusses the benefits of the FTO designation, which now enables the U.S. to revoke visas, place cartel affiliates on no-fly lists, and seize financial assets linked to cartel operations.
The episode also covers the U.S.-Mexico agreement to deploy 10,000 additional Mexican troops to the border, though Bensman challenges claims that most cartel weapons originate from U.S. gun stores, pointing instead to corrupt military officials in Mexico and Central America.
Jones calls the FTO designation a game changer, predicting it will save countless lives by disrupting cartel networks.