Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick on Wednesday expanded on his previous position that the United States should use its military to strike cartel installations in Mexico behind the illegal exporting of fentanyl over the southern border.
McCormick told The Associated Press he envisions the precision use of military resources to destroy facilities behind fentanyl production or transportation, which he said the country’s leaders should consider terrorism.
“I’m not saying we’re going to send the 82nd Airborne Division to do a jump into Mexico,” McCormick told the news agency. He explained that he is specifically advocating, “combination of special operations and drones,” which he said would be able to “eradicate the manufacturing facilities, kill the distribution networks and do a real dent in what is a terrorist activity.”
He additionally said the United States should take military action without waiting on Mexico, as “the time for negotiating with the Mexican government to get their DEA on this is gone.”
McCormick said, “We’ve got to get tough on it. And that’s what I would do.”
Government officials in Mexico, including former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, have denied the country produces fentanyl, but the head of Mexico’s Criminal Investigation Agency called the country a “champion” in production of the narcotic in April.
The Republican has twice floated the idea of using military resources to stem the flow of fentanyl into the United States, including in June, when he more vaguely suggested crossing the border to confront those allegedly producing fentanyl.
“We need to go across the border into Mexico and destroy the cartels and use our military capability in a very targeted, sophisticated way,” McCormick reportedly said at an event with former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr.
He added, “We have to destroy the cartels and stop that flow [of fentanyl]. So we have to finish the wall, we have to fund the Border Patrol, we have to have adequate security at the border.”
McCormick similarly recommended “limited military action” in February, when The Citizens’ Voice reported he made the remarks during a round table discussion with law enforcement.
“As you know, I’m a former soldier. I take the use of military force very seriously. And I think it’s very important to be thoughtful in how we do that. But I think these drug cartels are such a threat that we should consider also, hopefully in concert with the Mexican government, of taking limited military action to stop the cartels from pushing fentanyl across our borders,” McCormick reportedly said during the discussion.
He suggested the military understand the mission as “a battle against terrorists that would kill 100,000 Americans a year,” using fentanyl and other illegal drugs as their weapon of choice.
“I don’t think anyone, frankly, or not enough people are saying that’s a war we got to fight with all our powers, and this is no joke,” said McCormick in February.
McCormick is a West Point graduate who received a Bronze Star for his service in Iraq.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Dave McCormick” by Dave McCormick.
