Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has vowed to use military force, including drone strikes, to fight Mexican cartels if he is elected president.
During a campaign stop in Iowa on Thursday, DeSantis was asked by a voter if he would be willing to use the military and drones to combat the crisis at the southern border.
DeSantis is asked if he would approve drone strikes on people suspected of drug smuggling from Mexico.
“Yes, I’ve already said that,” DeSantis replied. “And it’s not just if they happen to come over the border.” pic.twitter.com/x6Omxa6GV0
— Amie Rivers (@amierrivers) August 10, 2023
“Yes, I’ve already said that we will,” DeSantis said. “We will lean in against the drug cartels. We will absolutely reserve a right — if they’re invading our country and killing our people — we have a right to defend this country.”
“Would you be willing to use drones — whatever military it takes — to take out those drug cartels IN MEXICO?”
DeSantis: “YES … they’re invading our country and killing our people. We have the right to DEFEND this country.” pic.twitter.com/50kgCdQBeT
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) August 11, 2023
“We have the right to hold them accountable, and it’s not just that they happen to come over our border,” the Florida governor continued. “And if Mexico’s not going to help us with that, well, then we’re going to have to do what we have to do.”
Speaking to reporters, DeSantis said that he would authorize “whatever force we need to defend the country.”
“They’re killing tens of thousands of Americans right now,” he said.
Fox News pointed out, “U.S. overdose deaths caused by fentanyl trafficked over the border. More than 70,000 Americans died overdoses involving synthetic opioids in 2021.”
DeSantis said he would categorize cartels are the “worst of humanity” and that he would classify them as “something akin to a foreign terrorist organization.”
“They’re trafficking people into this country. They’re abusing people, sexual abuse,” DeSantis said. “It’s really the worst of humanity. I would categorize them as something akin to a foreign terrorist organization. I think that’s what they’ve proven to be.”
“The Mexican government is not doing what they need to do to help with this,” DeSantis continued. “But we said from day one on our border announcement, we’d be willing to lean in against them, and we reserve the right to defend the country.”
Desantis had previously discussed the issue during an interview on NBC.
DeSantis debates his plan to use deadly force against drug cartels with NBC’s Dasha Burns pic.twitter.com/PZ49bKlBy0
— Nicole Silverio (@NicoleMSilverio) August 7, 2023
The governor told interviewer Dasha Burns that he would use deadly force to stop drug cartels.
