Democrats Defend Cartel Operators as Fentanyl Overdoses Surge

By Mark Vargas
Thursday, December 18, 2025

Democratic lawmakers are increasingly defending cartel operators who smuggle deadly narcotics into the United States—offering sympathy to the very criminals responsible for killing more than 100,000 Americans annually with fentanyl.

Since September 2025, U.S. military forces have conducted a series of precision strikes on cartel-operated smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific. The campaign—which followed the Trump administration’s designation of major cartels as narcoterrorism organizations—has destroyed at least 20 vessels, including a narco-submarine, and eliminated over 80 individuals linked to narcotics trafficking routes.

Each vessel carried sufficient narcotics or precursor chemicals to kill thousands. Yet several Democratic lawmakers have publicly defended the smugglers. Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut claimed there is “no such thing as a narco-terrorist.” Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon described targeted cartel operatives as “two helpless men.” Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island dismissed cartel operations entirely, stating that traffickers “it’s the way they make money.” Washington Rep. Adam Smith insisted narco-terrorists pose “no direct threat” to American lives.

These statements starkly contrast with the real-world devastation cartels inflict on families nationwide. Fentanyl—smuggled almost exclusively by cartel networks—remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18–45. Parents in Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky recently buried teenagers after overdosing on counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl.

Every smuggling vessel destroyed represents a supply chain severed and potential lives saved. Yet Democrats appear more concerned about the “rights” and “well-being” of cartel couriers than families mourning children lost to overdoses.

These lawmakers previously undermined Trump’s border wall efforts, opposed stricter asylum rules, and dismissed warnings about escalating cartel activity. Critics—some foreign governments—have argued that a few individuals killed in strikes were “low-level” smugglers. However, U.S. officials clarify that participating in cartel trafficking at any level directly fuels mass-casualty drug distribution.

Cartels now operate with military-grade infrastructure, encrypted communications, armed security, and vessels designed to evade interdiction. They kill more Americans annually than al-Qaida ever did—yet Democrats claim they pose “no direct threat.”

The administration treats cartel operatives as “unlawful combatants,” aligning with post-9/11 counterterrorism authorities. Republicans assert this reflects reality: cartels function as paramilitary organizations responsible for mass deaths within the United States.

Democrats, however, frame cartel smugglers as victims while fentanyl overdoses ravage communities from Appalachia to the Midwest. One party focuses on dismantling the global narcotics machine killing Americans; the other offers political sympathy to the criminals running it.