Video shows cartel brandishing AK-47s, taunting law enforcement at Texas border

by mcardinal

Chris Lange, FISM News

 

Yesterday, a video showing heavily-armed cartel members appearing to mock Texas Army National Guard soldiers at the U.S.-Mexican border was released by Texas law enforcement officials.

The disturbing footage shows suspected human traffickers in tactical vests brandishing assault rifles in front of Texas Army National Guard soldiers, showing no signs of intimidation by the U.S. law enforcement presence in the area. 

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, this is only one of several recent incidents involving suspected cartel gunmen. The gang members have been spotted at a known drop-off site near Hebbronville, Texas, approximately 80 miles from the border with Mexico.

The release of the video comes only a day after Border Patrol agents in the area arrested a group of Guatemalan migrants attempting to cross the border that included a convicted sex offender and MS-13 gang member.

According to a Fox News report, the Texas Military Department has taken steps to shore up security in the area in response to these incidents.

‘As we work closely with the Texas Military Department, any potential threats toward law enforcement and the Texas Military Department will be fully investigated and those responsible will be arrested and charged to the fullest extent of the law,’ they said in a statement., adding “The Texas Department of Public Safety is committed to securing our southern border.” 

National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd said images of cartel members taunting border agents are “not surprising” and that they are “emboldened” by the Biden administration’s soft border policies: 

[The cartels] understand exactly what’s going on with politics here in the United States. They understand the mood of the American public, and they understand that with the Defund the Police movement, with all of the talk about getting rid of law enforcement and vilifying law enforcement, that they’ve been emboldened. They know that they can get away with things that otherwise they would have never been able to get away with.

The incident points to a broader crisis across the nation stemming from a lack of border policy enforcement, which increasingly places law enforcement and tens of millions of American citizens in harm’s way. Since July, there have been over 200,000 illegal crossings into the U.S., creating a surge in human trafficking and the importation of massive quantities of drugs, including deadly Fentanyl, into U.S.

The Biden administration has repeatedly failed to acknowledge or address the crisis, despite bipartisan pressure to do so.

A  group of Republican governors on Wednesday unveiled a 10-point plan in an attempt to put an end to the border chaos. The proposal, written by GOP members of the Homeland Security Committee, was sent to President Biden along with a letter demanding he take swift action to mitigate the “dire” crisis.

The plan includes, among other items, enforcement of Title 42, a policy enacted by former President Trump that denies U.S. entry to migrants due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter cites reports estimating the admission of roughly 40,000 COVID-19 positive migrants into American cities since Biden took office. The plan also includes reinstating Trump’s “stay in Mexico” policy, completing the border wall, and putting an end to Biden’s “catch-and-release” policy. 

“President Joe Biden has caused a humanitarian crisis and chaos on our border,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, one of the governors backing the plan. “All Americans saw what happened in Del Rio, Texas just last month, and we know that chaos will be repeated unless and until President Biden takes action.”

“The president must act, he cannot ignore this humanitarian and national security crisis any more,” said Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts.

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