WATCH: Rep. Waltz calls for sending ‘very clear message’ to Mexico and drug cartels

Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) is calling upon the Biden administration to demonstrate stronger leadership and confront the Mexican drug cartel crisis.

“This is more weakness from this White House,” Waltz told Fox News’s Steve Hilton. “Now cartels, these narco-terrorists that control our southern border, that control upwards of a third, according to some estimates, of the entire country of Mexico.”

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“Look, I would ask the White House, ‘If ISIS or al Qaeda pumped chemicals into the United States that killed 80,000 Americans, more than the worst year of World War II, would we be treating it as a law enforcement/diplomatic problem?’ Hell no, we wouldn’t!” Waltz said. “We would go after them, ISIS and al Qaeda, with everything we’ve got. And that’s what we’re demanding now in the Congress.”

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) joined Waltz in January, introducing legislation to authorize military force against the major Mexican drug cartels. Their effort has found support from former Attorney General William Barr.

Waltz said efforts could utilize offensive cyberstrategy through military or space assets, in addition to going after the cartels’ money or dismantling the cartel leadership with special operation forces.

“We’re at a point now where we need to send a very clear message … to say we’re going to have to do this with you or without you. We have no choice. We cannot accept, actually under international law, to allow your territory to be used as a sanctuary for narco-terrorists to then kill the citizens of your neighbor is a violation of international law,” Waltz said.

“And I think we send a message that we have no choice: Work with us, or we’re going to have work alone to protect our sovereignty, our people, and our interest. I think if we send that message the right way, much like we did with the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy, that we’ll see folks get on board,” the congressman said.

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When it was suggested that a new president might be needed for Waltz to see his ideas come to fruition, the Republican congressman said immediate action is needed in light of the recent kidnapping and slaying of American citizens in Mexico.

“We owe it to those families to do everything we can do from Congress and at least set the stage for the next president if this one won’t … act,” Waltz said.