Florida’s law enforcement officials, led by Attorney General Ashley Moody, are cracking down on the drug trafficking that plagues the state. Last week’s sentencing of a Latin King gang member to 25 years for his role in a massive drug ring is the latest chapter in the ongoing battle the Sunshine State is fighting against organized drug crime.
The collaborative operations target Mexican cartel operatives who have been smuggling and trafficking deadly substances like fentanyl and methamphetamine into the U.S. These efforts have led to significant victories, with investigators seizing enough fentanyl to potentially kill over half the state’s population and dismantling a major drug trafficking ring. But the fight is far from over.
This week, we secured a 25-year prison sentence for a Latin King gang member involved in a massive cartel drug ring, charged a fentanyl dealer with manslaughter, filed criminal charges against three thieves for organized retail theft and more!
Check it out here:… pic.twitter.com/mYduXmmb7r
— AG Ashley Moody (@AGAshleyMoody) February 23, 2024
Additionally, Moody has recently appealed directly to the Biden administration to demand that Mexican drug cartels be designated under federal law as “foreign terrorist organizations” (FTOs). That legal designation would support state and local law enforcement with more funding and tools to fight against the cartels on American soil. Moody argues from the evidence presented that the cartels are not ordinary criminal outfits but act in the same manner as state-sponsored terrorist organizations.
The call for action is grounded in the harrowing reality of the drug crisis, which is exacerbated by what many see as the Biden administration’s inadequate border policies. These policies, critics argue, have only emboldened the cartels, allowing them to traffic vast amounts of deadly fentanyl into the country and fuel violence at the border and beyond. The situation is dire, with cartel violence not only escalating in Mexico but spilling over into the U.S., as evidenced by a recent cartel-style execution in California.
Remember—this was once unimaginable but is now reality. More illegal immigrants have entered the United States under Biden than the population of 36 states.https://t.co/7bS36rxkOb
— AG Ashley Moody (@AGAshleyMoody) February 22, 2024
Moody’s plea for a tougher stance against the cartels has been joined by 20 other state attorneys general. The group has expressed with a unified voice the danger of the national security threat posed by the cartels’ armed forces and their links to foreign terrorist organizations.
Despite the clear and present danger, the federal response has been lacking. Moody and her counterparts have been vocal in their frustration over the Biden administration’s failure to address the border crisis and the fentanyl epidemic adequately. They argue that designating the cartels as FTOs is a crucial step in stemming the tide of drugs and violence.
The situation at the border has become a national crisis that affects every American community. The number of deaths from fentanyl, a poison trafficked by the cartels, has risen to record levels, with the fastest-growing class of American victims being children under 14.
