President Donald Trump vowed to reassert American dominance against the "murderous" cartels in Mexico during the State of the Union Tuesday.
"As president, I will make peace wherever I can, but I will never hesitate to confront threats to America wherever we must," Trump said.
'We're also restoring American security and dominance.'
Trump's remarks come just days after Mexico went up in flames following the death of Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, one of the country's "most sinister cartel kingpins."
Oseguera Cervantes was the head of the notorious Jalisco New Generation cartel, whose vast and violent criminal enterprises prompted the Trump administration to classify it as a terrorist organization.
RELATED: Watch the State of the Union tonight on BlazeTV's YouTube channel
"We're also restoring American security and dominance in the Western Hemisphere, acting to secure our national interests and defend our country from violence, drugs, terrorism, and foreign interference," Trump said.
"For years, large swaths of territory in our region, including large parts of Mexico, ... have been controlled by murderous drug cartels. That's why I designated these cartels as foreign terrorist organizations."
The cartel boss was captured by Mexican special forces on Sunday with the help of complementary American intelligence in Jalisco, igniting chaos across the country. In the moments after his elimination, footage showed a Costco engulfed in flames as well as firefights and roadblocks in the streets across Mexico.
The chaos prompted a shelter-in-place advisory from the State Department, leaving many tourists no other option but to hunker down at their resorts.
Trump's warnings to cartels was not unique to Mexico. Tuesday night, the president reflected on the military campaign he led against alleged Venezuelan drug boats leading up to Nicolas Maduro's capture, joking that his intervention impacted the drug business and the fishing business.
"Nobody wants to go fishing anymore!" he said.
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Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona is proposing new legislation to crack down on illegal aliens obtaining commercial driver's licenses.
Americans have witnessed many preventable deaths inflicted by illegal alien truck drivers who often obtained CDLs in blue states that seemingly ignore citizenship or work requirements. The tragic death toll was exacerbated by former President Joe Biden's administration, which allowed millions of illegal aliens to flood the country within a span of just four years.
'They gamble with American lives.'
Biggs believes the VERIFY CDL Act will help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
"American citizens should not have to worry that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ border failures are showing up on our highways," Biggs told Blaze News. "When millions of unvetted, unknown illegal aliens were allowed into the country — which is exactly what the Biden regime turned a blind eye to — the federal government created serious public safety risks far beyond the border."
"Until every illegal alien is deported by President Trump’s hard work, Congress has a responsibility to close dangerous loopholes. My VERIFY CDL Act ensures commercial driver’s licenses are issued only to individuals legally authorized to work in the United States.”
Biggs' legislation would look to change that. According to the bill text obtained exclusively by Blaze News, the VERIFY CDL Act would require applicants' employment to be authorized through the E-Verify program before they can be issued a CDL, adding additional safeguards and closing a highly abused loophole.
"Operating a commercial vehicle is not a right — it is a serious responsibility," Biggs told Blaze News. "When states issue CDLs without verifying work authorization, they gamble with American lives. My bill puts an end to that recklessness."
"If you are legally authorized to work in the United States, E-Verify confirms it," Biggs said. "If you are not, you do not get behind the wheel of a 40-ton vehicle."
RELATED: Illegal alien truckers with California licenses accused of hauling $7M in cocaine across state lines
Biggs noted that mass immigration is not limited to the border, but rather it needs to be addressed at every level, including CDLs.
"It's not complicated," Biggs said. "We have seen what happens when verification fails — preventable deaths, broken families, and a system that has lost its integrity."
"One preventable death is one too many," Biggs added. "Congress has a duty to act, and this bill does exactly that."
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Immigration sob stories are a dime a dozen in The New York Times, but an argument the paper made this week opposing immigration law enforcement is truly one for the history books. In earnest, the Times said if it’s unconstitutional for colleges and universities to racially discriminate in their admissions process, it should also be […]
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Christians are free to support completely closed borders, and they are free to help enforce federal immigration laws, including with the use of force.
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