(NewsNation) — Senator Lindsey Graham said Wednesday that he plans on introducing a bill that would classify certain Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, but one expert says there may be bad implications.
The designation would allow the U.S. government to deploy military force when it is deemed necessary.
“There’s been a long standing tradition that we don’t use our military within our borders related to enforcement matters. What are the rules of engagement and things of that nature?” asked former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who served under George W. Bush’s administration.
Senator John Kennedy, R-La., joined Graham in support of the bill, calling for the use of military force to destroy fentanyl labs. Graham called Mexico a “narco-terrorist state” in a press conference Wednesday.
“It just remains to be seen whether or not this can be sufficiently cabined in a way that won’t have the military and law enforcement falling over each other, that we don’t have the military, battling the rights of American citizens in this country,” said Gonzales on “NewsNation Live.”
The White House said Wednesday that designating Mexican cartels as terrorist groups would have minimal benefits.
“Designating these cartels as (foreign terrorist organizations) would not grant us any additional authorities that we don’t really have at this time,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing with reporters.
The proposed legislation follows the kidnapping of four Americans in Matamoros, Mexico last week. The incident left two dead and one injured.
Gonzales told NewsNation the U.S. should be helping Mexico, saying, “We need a better handle on and we need to be able to provide assistance to Mexico, whether its (their) inability, lack of will, whatever it is, we need to help Mexico our friends on the south deal with this with this issue”
Watch Gonzales’ full analysis in the player above.