U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) published a series of posts on January 21, 2026, addressing issues related to drug smuggling, criticism of the agency, and recent changes in immigration enforcement policy under President Donald Trump.
In a post at 13:55 UTC, ICE alerted the public about an individual wanted for drug smuggling. The agency stated: "CARTEL DRUG SMUGGLER WANTED Mexican national Roberto “Beto” Bazan-Salinas is associated with the Cartel del Golfo and wanted for his role in smuggling multi-kilogram shipments of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana from Mexico into the U.S. Your tips make a difference! https://t.co/epz33am3vC".
Later that day at 16:28 UTC, ICE responded to criticism by referencing an online resource. The agency wrote: "This anti-ICE agitator needs to visit https://t.co/cCjW3DxXoA https://t.co/J7MIvBb0jo".
At 17:15 UTC, ICE commented on its operational capacity under current federal leadership. The post read: "Thanks to President @realDonaldTrump, the handcuffs have been taken off ICE, allowing us to actually enforce federal immigration laws — unlike the previous administration. https://t.co/AftLSnRNH0".
The mention of Roberto “Beto” Bazan-Salinas as being linked to the Cartel del Golfo comes amid ongoing efforts by U.S. authorities to disrupt cross-border narcotics trafficking operations. The Cartel del Golfo is one of Mexico’s oldest organized crime groups and has long been involved in drug smuggling activities between Mexico and the United States.
ICE’s reference to changes in enforcement follows policy shifts during President Trump’s administration that prioritized stricter immigration law enforcement compared to prior years. This shift has led to increased operational activity by ICE agents across various regions.
