Grand Canyon Times

Alex Nicoll, spokesperson for U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake, said that Lake intends to address the issue of cartels controlling the southern border, which they "exploit and endanger Americans." The statement was provided by the Lake Campaign to the Grand Canyon Times on October 22.

"Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Ruben Gallego have ceded control of our southern border to the cartels, and created an environment where the cartels are able to exploit and endanger Americans," said Lake, U.S. Senate Candidate in Arizona. "On Day 1 in the U.S. Senate, Kari Lake will work with President Trump to stop the cartels and secure our border."

According to a Border Patrol alert obtained by News Nation, members of the Sinaloa cartel have been authorized to shoot at U.S. border patrol agents. This development is attributed to internal conflicts within the cartel and has led to heightened caution among agents, especially in the El Paso and Del Rio sectors, where gunfire incidents from the Mexican side have been reported. Former Homeland Security agent Victor Avila said, "The No. 1 reason they fight for these plazas is because these plazas are the corridors to enter the United States, whether California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and that’s the major fight because the Sinaloa cartel has controlled that whole area."

In May, an anonymous Border Patrol agent told News Nation that "cartels control the border." The agent further explained that "our border is by no means secure," adding that there is insufficient manpower to manage the current situation.

CBS News reported that Mexican authorities seized 24 surveillance cameras installed by drug cartel lookouts known as "falcons" in San Luis Rio Colorado, a border city across from Arizona. These cameras were used to monitor police and military movements amid ongoing cartel violence in the area. San Luis Rio Colorado has traditionally been a destination for Americans seeking affordable prescriptions but has recently experienced increased drug-related conflict. Recent U.S. sanctions have targeted businesses allegedly linked to cartel operations.

In 2022, Kari Lake ran for governor of Arizona and is currently a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Arizona.