Should Drug Cartels Be Treated As Terrorist Organizations?

Lawmakers Suggest Treating Drug Cartels As Terrorist Organizations -- Washington Times

Lawmakers say it is time to treat Latin American drug cartels like terrorist organizations, highlighting alarm about possible links between the two kinds of groups after Iran’s alleged efforts to recruit drug lords to kill a Saudi diplomat in Washington.

“We must stop looking at the drug cartels today solely from a law- enforcement perspective,” said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Florida Republican and chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

She urged officials to “consider designating these narcotrafficking networks as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, and their leaders as Specially Designated Nationals.”

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My Comment: With thousands of Mexicans being killed every year from the drug trade now becoming a regular occurrence .... branding this as a law enforcement problem is not enough. A different approach is needed, and by better defining the threat and who is the enemy will start the wheels in motion for allocating the proper focus and resources to combat it. Will it succeed ... probably not. But it is a start.