J.D. Vance, the Republican Vice Presidential candidate, said that Mexican drug cartels have become the "wealthiest criminal organization" through their drug smuggling and human trafficking operations. Vance made this assertion during a conversation with Lulu Garcia-Navarro for "The Interview."
"The Mexican drug cartels have become the wealthiest criminal organization — maybe in the entire world — because of what Kamala Harris has done at the border," said Senator J.D. Vance, GOP VP Candidate, according to YouTube.
According to Customs and Border Protection data, since Fiscal Year 2021, there have been 8,622,559 southwest land border encounters.
Mexican cartels' influence and operations have spread globally, engaging in drug trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking. Police1 reports that cartel members bribe officials and infiltrate law enforcement to enable long-term influence and control. The Sinaloa Cartel and Cártel Jalisco Nuevo Generación (CJNG) have established networks across the United States. Investigations have revealed money laundering schemes and drug trafficking networks throughout U.S. communities.
According to the New York Post, cartels use social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat to recruit young American citizens for their human smuggling or drug trafficking operations. In September, Vance said that if elected, his administration would utilize the Department of Justice to prevent social media companies from allowing cartel recruitment. "If you’re not willing to use the power of law enforcement to tell these social media companies they have to stop, they have to stop facilitating drug trafficking and sex trafficking, then you’re not fit to be a leader of this country," Vance told The Post.
An analysis from the Center for Immigration Studies found that cartels are making approximately $30 million per day or $1 billion per month in profits. They are using this cash flow to expand their operations into the U.S., recruiting American citizens and forcing migrants to pay thousands of dollars to cross into the U.S. through the southern border.
Vance is a U.S. Senator from Ohio and former President Donald Trump’s Vice Presidential pick for the 2024 Republican ticket, according to Ballotpedia.
