Bipartisan legislation hopes to crack down on cartel's social media recruitment
By Cameron Arcand
The Center Square
A bipartisan bill in Congress aims to crack down on how cartels use social media platforms like Snapchat to get American citizens to traffic drugs into the country, including in Arizona.
House Resolution 488 was introduced on Jan. 16 by Arizona Republican U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani and Pennsylvania Democratic U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, who represents a border district in southern Arizona, as drastic border policy changes are under way with the new Trump administration.
“In Pima County, fentanyl overdoses are the number one cause of death for teenagers. Tragically, the same cartels that traffic this poison into our communities are using social media to recruit American citizens, including teenagers, to smuggle drugs and other contraband into the United States,” Ciscomani said in a statement.
“This must stop, which is why I am proud to lead this critical legislation to create a national strategy to crack down on cartel recruitment through social media and protect our communities," the congressman added.
There is a Senate version of the bill backed by Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly and Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, and both versions have Republican and Democratic support so far.
Specifically, the legislation would permit the Department of Homeland Security to have a process for tackling cartel recruitment on social media and allow the platforms themselves to flag illegal activity.
Fentanyl trafficking, in particular, is largely done by United States citizens, with them accounting for over 86% of “fentanyl trafficking offenses” in fiscal year 2021, according to the United States Sentencing Commission.
“Cartel recruitment on social media has real consequences in Arizona. I see it in my county when our officers engage in high-speed pursuits and apprehend young Americans for helping smuggle migrants, all because a cartel promised them money on Facebook or TikTok,” Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said in a statement in support of the legislation.
The proposal is expected to be one of many major pieces of legislation intended to crack down on illegal activity related to the border and immigration policy. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the Laken Riley Act on Wednesday, which allows illegal immigrants to be brought into custody for crimes such as theft.