Vice President Kamala Harris has vowed to double the Department of Justice’s resources in a crackdown on cartels, as a new poll shows crime syndicates are a key concern for Latino voters.
At a campaign event in Nevada on Sunday, Harris also pledged to cut the flow of fentanyl entering the United States if she is elected in November.
“As president, I will double the resources for the Department of Justice to go after those transnational cartels and take action to stop the flow of fentanyl coming into our country, which is destroying entire communities,” Harris said.
Immigration is a key issue inthe 2024 presidential election, with cartels also in the national spotlight following several high-profile cases involving El Mayo, Venezuelan gangs, and boatloads of drugs entering the country.
Harris’ pledge came as a new poll by UnidosUS of Latino voters in swing states showed that when discussing border security, human smugglers and drug traffickers were a priority.
Harris remarks came after former President Donald Trump falsely claimed at a rally in Wisconsin on Saturday that Harris wants to legalize fentanyl.
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (C) visits the US-Mexico border with US Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin (R) in Douglas, Arizona, on September 27, 2024.
Rebecca Noble/Getty
“She’s so radical she even wants to legalize fentanyl right away,” he told a crowd of his loyal MAGA supporters.
During Harris’ visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, she promised to “target the entire global fentanyl supply chain” and “significantly reduce the flow of precursor chemicals from China”.
Eric Ruark, director of research and sustainability at NumbersUSA, previously told Newsweek that poll numbers show voters trust Trump over Harris on immigration.
“Voters trust Trump over Harris on immigration by 10 points, according to September polling from ABC/Ipsos,” Ruark said. “Harris is clearly trying to convince voters she somehow opposes the very policies her administration put in place.”
Polling by Redfield and Wilton Strategies shows that 47 percent of respondents trust Trump on immigration compared to 36 percent who trust Harris.
Meanwhile, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 100,000 people died of drug overdoses last year. Nearly 70 percent of the deaths were related to synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl.
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are seen on a screen as they debate for the first time during the presidential election campaign at The National Constitution Center on September 10,
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Sonara Health’s CEO, Michael Giles, told Newsweek: “The surge in fentanyl-related deaths among people aged 18 to 45 in the U.S. profoundly impacts public health by increasing mortality rates and straining healthcare resources. Economically, it leads to lost productivity, higher healthcare costs, and financial burdens on families due to loss of income and treatment expenses. Socially, it disrupts communities through increased crime rates, family instability, and widespread mental health challenges stemming from grief and trauma.”
Harris’ pledge to crack down on drug smuggling and human trafficking cartels comes amid growing concerns over the presence of a Venezuelan gang terrorizing communities in Colorado and El Paso.
The gang known as Tren de Aragua (TdA) focuses on human trafficking and other abuses targeting vulnerable migrants.
Footage emerged on social media of the gang storming the apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado.
The video shows men with assault rifles making their way up a stairwell and before breaking down doors of The Edge at Lowry apartments.
In September, police identified what they say are 10 members of a notorious Venezuelan gang.
The Aurora Police Department said that TdA members had been “committing acts of violence against members of the migrant community” in the town.
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