(CNSNews.com) – During a House Oversight Committee hearing on border security, Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Tex.) explained how Mexican drug cartels are waging what he describes as “asymmetrical warfare” on the United States.
On Feb. 7 at the Capitol, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing entitled “On the Front Lines of the Border Crisis: A Hearing with Chief Patrol Agents.”
The two expert witnesses invited to testify at the hearing were Gloria Chavez, Chief Patrol Agent of the Rio Grande Valley Sector, and John Modlin, Chief Patrol Agent of the Tucson Sector.
During his remarks, Rep. Fallon used his time to shine a light on the size and nature of the cartels.
“Chief Modlin, do you believe the Mexican drug cartels present a clear and present danger to the safety and security of the United States?” asked Fallon.
“I would say that the drug cartels and their control of the border […] is a very significant problem,” replied Chief Modlin.
Fallon went on to reveal that the estimated total revenue for the cartels is $38 billion a year, made from illegal narcotics and human trafficking.
“That’s the size of some nation states’ entire GDP in a given year,” explained Fallon.
In his response, Modlin said, “I think it’s very important that you’ve brought up the amount of money the cartels have.”
“So these organizations,” Modlin continued, “the funds they have, it’s almost limitless. They don’t have to follow policy, they don’t have to follow law, they don’t recognize the international border, they don’t recognize state borders. So, where we are, of course, confined by all those things, or restricted by those things, they have absolute freedom.”
“Absolute freedom to smuggle in fentanyl,” Fallon interrupted, “which I think we’d all agree is the most dangerous drug they’re currently trafficking in. Where something smaller than a tip of a pencil, two milligrams, can kill a human being. They’ve smuggled in 24,000 pounds in the last two fiscal years, and they have killed 80,000 Americans in just one year.”
“That is asymmetrical warfare being waged on the United States, and what we don’t lack is your will to secure the border, the border patrol agents’ will,” said Fallon. “We have the resources, we have the manpower, we have the technology. What we lack, Mr. Chairman, is Alejandro Mayorkas’ will, and Joe Biden’s will to do so.”
On the morning of the hearing, the Twitter account for the Oversight Committee Democrats tweeted the following:
“Good morning and good luck to everyone except @GOPoversight members who are using today’s hearing to amplify white nationalist conspiracy theories instead of a comprehensive solution to protect our borders and strengthen our immigration system.”
This tweet prompted a response from Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) who said the following at the start of the hearing:
“I’m just going to cut to the chase for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who want to state that we’re using this hearing for white nationalism. I’m not doing that, so if you feel that strongly come walk to this side of the room and let’s talk about it face to face. But leave that kind of silly stuff for somebody else. Don’t bring that here today, this stuff is serious.”