Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland stated that individuals are collaborating with Mexican cartels to "smuggle drugs and distribute them all across America." Cleveland made the statement in an interview on the Texas Talks podcast on July 8.
"You're going to have some bad actors that are part of the cartel that help smuggle drugs and distribute them across America," said Cleveland, according to YouTube.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment, the reach of cartel drug trafficking networks extends into major cities in the United States, not just those near the border. Cities such as Chicago, New York, Phoenix, and Houston are identified as locations where cartel associates supply trafficking rings that extend throughout the country. Fentanyl is often advertised on social media, where individuals are induced to buy or sell illegal substances—"the main aim is to get into the hands of users."
The Wilson Center reports that cartels hire both Americans and Mexicans to smuggle fentanyl and other illegal narcotics into the United States. These instances of individuals attempting to bring concealed drugs across the border account for 90% of drug seizures at the border.
Congressman Anthony D'Esposito, who represents New York's 4th district, stated that street gang MS-13 is active in assisting cartel activity in places like New York City. Members of MS-13 have been known to aid cartel human trafficking operations. An MS-13 member was also arrested in Alabama for violent crime in 2023.
"We need to continue to fight the cartels," said Cleveland. By disrupting their smuggling and trafficking operations on the American side of the border, they can be more easily stopped with the help of "other nations."
Cleveland has served as Sheriff of Terrell County, Texas since 2022, according to the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement (IDGA). He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and was Patrol Agent in Charge of the Sanderson Border Patrol Station for 11 years, serving as a Border Patrol agent for a total of 26 years. He is a member of Coalition Against Cartels, a national effort to expose illegal operations of cartels in U.S. communities.
