(The Epoch Times)—More than 134 acres in Texas that was being used by a drug cartel for smuggling activities has been taken over by U.S. authorities, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a Feb. 10 post on X.
“We took the land and everything on it,” the post said. A video shared with the post showed law enforcement officers arresting several people. “They thought they were untouchable. They were wrong. Over 134 acres of land and property, taken from the westside Gulf Cartel, a terrorist organization operating near Rio Grande City, Texas,” according to the video.
The Gulf Cartel is a drug trafficking organization from Mexico that moves arms and migrants into the United States, and has engaged in the kidnapping and murder of American citizens. Drug cartels have been known to use U.S. lands to grow marijuana, with such activities exploiting sanctuary state policies and the sovereignty of native tribal lands.
In a message to the cartels, CBP said, “You think this is just about arrests? It’s not. We are dismantling your operations from the ground up. We’re cutting out your safe houses, your staging areas, your corridors. This is your warning.”
Over the past year, authorities have seized several cartel-linked assets.
In May, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two high-ranking members of the Cartel del Noreste (CDN), a drug trafficking organization from Mexico. As a result, all assets and interests in assets of the designated individuals in the United States were blocked.
In March, the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned six people and seven entities for being involved in money laundering activity to support the Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel, resulting in blocking their assets in the United States.
“Laundered drug money is the lifeblood of the Sinaloa Cartel’s narco-terrorist enterprise, only made possible through trusted financial facilitators like those we have designated today,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the time. “Treasury, as part of a whole-of-government approach to addressing this pressing national security threat, will use all available tools to target anyone who assists the cartels in furthering their campaign of crime and violence.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has introduced the Cartel Marque and Reprisal Authorization Act to seize cartel assets, according to a Dec. 18 statement from the lawmaker’s office.
The bill would authorize President Donald Trump to commission private U.S. operators under letters of marque to take over cartel assets on land and sea. A letter of marque is a written authority granted to a person by the government to seize the goods of enemies. Such letters once used to be a common tool against piracy.
Under the bill, private operators would have the right to employ “all reasonably necessary means” to seize assets outside the United States.
“The Constitution provides for Letters of Marque and Reprisal as a tool against the enemies of the United States,” Lee said.
“Cartels have replaced corsairs in the modern era, but we can still give private American citizens and their businesses a stake in the fight against these murderous foreign criminals. The Cartel Marque and Reprisal Authorization Act will revive this historic practice to defend our shores and seize cartel assets.”
In January, Trump said that the United States will start launching strikes targeting cartels in Mexico. Last month, Mexico transferred 37 members of drug cartels to U.S. authorities amid pressure from the Trump administration to crack down on drug operations in the country.
Crackdown on Cartel Finances
In February 2025, the State Department designated several Mexican drug cartels and transnational criminal gangs as global terrorist organizations.
The designation allows authorities to block all assets of these entities in the United States, the department said. “Terrorist designations expose and isolate entities and individuals, denying them access to the U.S. financial system and the resources they need to carry out attacks.”
In testimony during a Feb. 10 House hearing, Rodney Scott, commissioner of the CBP, said that cartels engage in human trafficking, of children and those exploited for labor, and use the profits generated by these activities to fund their illegal operations.
“Breaking this cycle requires certainty of consequences and complete border security. When we secure the border and deny illegal entry, we are not just enforcing a statute—we are bankrupting a cartel operation and protecting innocent people,” he said.
“When illegal entry no longer guarantees release into the interior, and when [unaccompanied alien children] are protected and monitored, the cartels lose their product, their presence in the United States, and their ability to profit from our failures.”
According to a Feb. 4 CBP statement, Border Patrol released zero illegal immigrants into the United States in January for the ninth consecutive month.
“Every individual apprehended was processed according to law—a milestone unmatched in modern border history,” it said.
For Emergency Preparedness, Don’t Forget the Meds
Being prepared is more than just a good idea—it’s essential. We stock up on non-perishable food, bottled water, flashlights, and first-aid supplies, but one critical aspect often gets overlooked: access to vital medications. What happens if pharmacies close, prescriptions can’t be filled, or you’re cut off from medical care during an emergency?
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