Last week, from the Southern Border, Sen. Ossoff again warned of the threat of terrorism without bipartisan border security legislation
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is pressing the Biden Administration to prioritize prosecutions of drug traffickers and human smugglers.
Today, Sen. Ossoff launched an inquiry with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) urging them to prioritize resources toward supporting investigations and prosecutions targeting high-level narcotics and human smuggling operations necessary to stem the flow of illicit drugs, prevent human trafficking, and reduce the threat of terrorism at our southern border.
“Human smuggling represents both a national security threat and a humanitarian catastrophe. Traffickers transport people who pose a security threat, as well as desperate migrants in cramped and dangerously overcrowded boats or vehicles, often with limited ventilation or access to basic necessities,” Sen. Ossoff wrote to Attorney General Garland.
“Powerful criminal organizations exploit vulnerabilities in our border security to facilitate the flow of narcotics into the United States, fueling addiction, contributing to violent crime, and undermining the safety and well-being of our communities,” Sen. Ossoff continued. “It is imperative that we dedicate whatever resources are necessary to dismantle these criminal networks operating in and through Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico. By doing so, we can stem the flow of illicit drugs into our communities, prevent the exploitation of innocent individuals by human traffickers, and reduce the threat of terrorism at our southern border.”
In 2022, dozens of migrants were found dead in a sweltering truck in San Antonio in one of the deadliest migrant smuggling cases in U.S. history. Last year, at least eight people were killed when two migrant smuggling boats capsized amid rough surf and heavy fog off the coast of California.
Sen. Ossoff continues sounding the alarm on terrorism risks associated with the southern border and the dangers of drug trafficking and human trafficking.
This week, Sens. Ossoff, John Cornyn (R-TX), James Lankford (R-OK), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) introduced the bipartisan Detection Equipment and Technology Evaluation to Counter the Threat of (DETECT) Fentanyl and Xylazine Act to strengthen the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s capacity to detect, identify, and disrupt illicit substances being trafficked across the southern border.
Last week, from the Southern Border, Sen. Ossoff again warned of the threat of terrorism without bipartisan border security legislation, and last month, Sen. Ossoff delivered a Senate Floor Address warning of a “grave national security risk” if the bipartisan border security bill was blocked. Senate Republicans later blocked the bill from being debated.
Last month, the Sen. Ossoff-backed bipartisan Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act became law, which will sanction drug cartels and combat money laundering by the criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking.
In April, Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan Preventing Child Trafficking Act of 2024 with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) passed the Senate to strengthen coordination between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prevent child trafficking.
In March, during a U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Sen. Ossoff raised concerns with FBI Director Christopher Wray over the threat terrorism associated with unlawful entry through the southern border poses to U.S. national security.
Click here to read Sen. Ossoff’s inquiry with the DOJ.
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