Acting DHS Chief: Drug Cartels 'Mirror' World's Terrorist Orgs

Mexico's drug cartels "mirror some of the world's dangerous terrorist organizations," and President Donald Trump should be commended for taking the situation seriously, Acting Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said Wednesday. 

"What I can tell you is when we look at transnational criminal organizations, they are between ruthless killings, intimidation, and the like," Wolf told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo, adding that measures are being put in place to cut off their financial dealings. 

He added that the drug cartels are controlling the southern side of the Mexican border, but in addition to building the wall, the administration is putting together a number of policies to help address the problem with illicit drugs, crime, corruption, and the violence that follows where the cartels are located. 

Trump told media personality Bill O'Reilly, in an interview posted to his website Tuesday, that he plans to "absolutely" designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist groups," because of their role in the killings of tens of thousands of Americans annually, along with their huge role in both drug and human trafficking. 

Wolf added that the Trump administration's strategy concerning immigration is working, and "we are building the wall."

"I was down on the border last week," he said. "The agents are saying they need the new capabilities of what that border wall system brings . . . we provide our military, who fight overseas for us each and every day, tools, resources, and equipment they need; it should be no different with the Border Patrol."

He also rejected Democrats' argument that the border situation is a manufactured crisis. 

"As we went through April, May, and June, we had over 140,000 folks cross the border in each of those months . . . there is no way that you can see this as a manufactured or made-up crisis," Wolf said.

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