U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, told Federal Newswire last week that he is concerned about the alarming rise of Mexican drug cartels and their ties to Chinese influences. Gallagher expressed the need for urgency to protect American lives and national security.

According to the Wisconsin Republican, "We have to get operational control of our border. We have to recognize that gaining 100% control might be impossible, but getting close is absolutely feasible and essential for protecting our society.” 

Gallagher supports designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations, and told Federal Newswire, "We should use the full range of tools available to the federal government to combat these narco-terrorists and those who are assisting them.” 

He also advocates breaking the alliance between drug cartels and Chinese entities, particularly in the production of deadly substances like fentanyl. The former U.S. Marine and Intelligence official called for comprehensive efforts to disrupt their operations and protect Americans.

According to Gallagher, the China-to-Mexico-to U.S. movement of fentanyl precursors is a "reverse opium war on America. We need to trace the supply chain back to China, where a lot of these precursor chemicals are coming from." 

He also believes the U.S. border crisis should cause lawmakers to get serious about Mexican crime cartels. 

"We need a more nuanced conversation about the border crisis. An open-border policy exacerbates the humanitarian crisis and empowers drug cartels and human traffickers," Gallagher said."We need to follow the money. We need to understand the complex relationship between these cartels, their suppliers, and the money launderers,” he said.