Cartels

CBP encountered 178,000 illegal crossings in April 2026. That is down from the 250,000 peak but still triple pre-2021 levels. And somehow this is not the lead story on every network.

The volume is down at the line. The intelligence is up at the desk. Anyone telling you the border is fixed has not stood inside a Forward Operating Base lately.

Mexican cartels are adjusting strategy in response to Trump's FTO designations and military pressure. For the first time in a generation, cartel commanders fear American retaliation. That's progress, but only if Washington holds the line.

Former DEA acting administrator Jack Riley, 30 years watching cartel violence, says he's never seen a turf war this intense. When the most experienced man in the room says that, another round of congressional hearings is not the answer.

When both sides of the aisle clap, it usually means the politics are easy and the policy details are being ignored. The cartel crisis deserves more than applause.