Classifying them as terrorist organizations, Gov. Greg Abbott has issued an executive order directing the Department of Public Safety to focus on Mexican drug cartels and gangs in Texas.
“This has been a major focus for the governor for some time,” said Texas Tribune political reporter James Barragán. “It’s part of his border security push,” including a new focus on slowing down the influx of fentanyl. “He’s classifying these Mexican cartels, which make the fentanyl, as terrorist organizations, and he’s asking President Biden and the White House to do the same.”
“The question for me,” Barragán says, “is what this actually does in terms of actually going after these groups.”
For more stories from the week in Texas politics, listen to our Q&A in the audio player above.
