Gov. Greg Abbott issues executive order designating cartels as terrorists in the state of Texas

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) - Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order today designating cartels as terrorists in the state of Texas.

Gov. Abbott’s order also directs the Texas Department of Public Safety to take immediate action to identify gangs supporting Mexican cartels and work to seize assets as well as disrupt cartel networks.

“Fentanyl is a clandestine killer and Texans are victimized by Mexican cartels that produce and import it,” said Gov. Abbott.

“So, cartels are terrorists and its time that we started treating them that way.”

In addition to the governor’s state order to designate cartels working in Texas as terrorists, Gov. Abbott also sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris demanding that they too classify Mexican drug cartels operating in Texas as terrorist organizations.

The order lists a number of things including directing Texas agencies to alert the public about the fentanyl crisis and how it affects young Texans.

“Providers of it are teenagers in schools who are knowingly providing fentanyl laced pills and so its gone from cartels, to sophisticated gangs, to more loosely connected individuals who may be profiteering off of it themselves,” said Gov. Abbott.

He went on to say Texas law enforcement alone has seized over the past year enough fentanyl to kill every man, woman and child in the entire country.

“To save our country we are escalating our efforts to get these gangs and drugs off our streets,” said Gov. Abbott.

Chief of Midland Police Department Seth Herman says this order is a great step in protecting citizens across the state.

“I would say over the last 24 months, especially, we have seen an exponential number of not only fentanyl laced narcotics but also overdoses,” said Herman.

“Our personnel alone are dealing with several overdoses over the course of a few weeks where they are administering narcan almost on a daily basis.”

Gov. Abbott says that he will continue to work on taking more action including reclassifying fentanyl overdoses as fentanyl poison, and looking to elevate the charge to murder for anyone who knowingly provides fentanyl to someone who loses their life because of it.

Copyright 2022 KOSA. All rights reserved.