Opinion

WILLIAM BENNETT: We owe it to our fallen to wage war against Mexican cartels

Cartel leader's death in gun battle was a victory for Trump administration's fight against drug lords

By William J. Bennett Fox News

Published March 2, 2026 2:30am EST | Updated March 2, 2026 5:31am EST

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Sinaloa Cartel leaders indicted on narcoterrorism charges, reward posted

Sinaloa Cartel Tijuana Plaza leader Rene "La Rana" Arzate-Garcia, and his brother, Alfonso "Aquiles" Arzate-Garcia, have been indicted for trafficking drugs into the U.S.

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In the early morning hours of Feb. 22, Mexican army special forces — acting on U.S. intelligence — waged a brutal gun battle at a luxury villa in the Sierra Madre mountains, killing the cartel boss known as El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG).

It was a historic victory in President Donald Trump’s war against the narco-terrorists who have poisoned America for decades. Let us pray it is the first of many.

Six major Mexican cartels dominate the flow of deadly drugs into the United States. The CJNG is the most savage. Its sales of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine top $12 billion annually. Inside Mexico, it uses mass executions, torture and kidnappings to strike fear into both the population and law enforcement.

The Trump administration rightfully designated all six major Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, but they are more than that. They are among the most powerful criminal........

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