Lawmaker Eyes New Panel on Mexican Drug Cartels
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, introduced a resolution March 27 that would form a bipartisan House committee to develop policy recommendations to counter Mexican drug cartels.
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The House Select Committee to Defeat the Mexican Drug Cartels would target all aspects of the cartels’ operations, including fentanyl precursor chemicals supplied by China. Modeled after the House Select Committee on China and building on the work of the House cartel task force that Crenshaw has chaired, the new panel is intended to bring more focus and resources to a topic that spans the jurisdictions of many existing House committees. Crenshaw's resolution was referred to the House Rules Committee for consideration.
Congress has already put forth several fentanyl-related sanctions measures, including a bill enacted into law in April 2024 that requires sanctions on transnational criminal organizations and key cartel members engaged in international fentanyl trafficking (see 2401110042). The House Financial Services Committee approved a bill March 5 that would authorize the administration to sanction Chinese chemical companies and government officials who don't do appropriate compliance and oversight to prevent their chemicals from being sold to narcotraffickers (see 2503070005).