Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) revealed that he is planning to introduce legislation that would pave the way for deploying military force against Mexican drug cartels "if necessary."
Decrying the Biden administration for doing "nothing about" the recent kidnapping of four Americans near the city of Matamoros, Mexico, or the influx of drugs across the border, Graham argued it was time to take a stronger stance with Mexico.
TRUMP MUSED ABOUT FIGHTING DRUG WAR WITH MISSILE STRIKES IN MEXICO, EX-DEFENSE SECRETARY CLAIMS
"I would put Mexico on notice. If you continue to give safe haven to drug dealers, then you are an enemy of the United States," the senator told Fox News's Jesse Watters on Monday.
The bill he plans to introduce would designate certain Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Without providing more specifics, the senator teased that his bill would permit military action against the cartels "if necessary."
It would "set the stage to use military force if necessary to protect America from being poisoned by things coming out of Mexico,” the South Carolina Republican said.
“I would tell the Mexican government if you don’t clean up your act, we’re going to clean it up for you,” Graham said.
Two of the four abducted Americans were found dead, while one was injured and the other was unharmed, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Tuesday. Matamoros, where the four Americans were kidnapped, is home to intense drug cartel activity.
Several conservatives have long implored the U.S. to take a tougher stand on Mexico and the drug trade. For instance, former President Donald Trump once mused about launching missiles into Mexico to “destroy the drug labs,” according to his former Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Recently, former Attorney General William Barr dubbed Mexico a "failed Narcos state" and argued that the U.S. needs to start dealing with the cartels "like we dealt with ISIS."
“The Mexican government is being held hostage by tens of thousands of paramilitary members of terrorist organizations that effectively control Mexico. It’s pretty close at this stage to a failed narco-state," Barr said to Watters. "The government has no will, and it doesn’t have the ability to deal with the cartels."