Mexico has fallen under the control of corrupt elites and violent cartels, directly affecting Texas cities and communities as the federal government fails to punish those responsible. Thus, Texas must act to punish those responsible via economic sanctions and other measures, according to new research from the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

The new research, “Hold Them Accountable: Mexican Elites and the Cartels,” examines the different methods that the state of Texas could use to respond to Mexican elites that permit and are party to corruption. Those methods, ranging from economic sanctions to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charges to barring elites engaged in corrupt activities from entering the U.S., are all measures Texas could adapt into state and local policies, within constitutional boundaries.

“The U.S.–Mexico trade relationship has a long history, though one frequently marked by tensions connected with the incidence of cartel operations, government corruption, and human smuggling and trafficking. Allegations of corruption among Mexican political and business elites are not new but were sadly exposed more largely following the Sedena leaks,” said Joshua Trevino, chief of intelligence and research for TPPF. “The Texas–Mexico trade relationship should motivate Texas policymakers to adopt punitive measures against corrupt Mexican elites who have property or profit from business interests in Texas.”

Key Points

  • Illegal activity that harms the U.S. is coming from Mexico in much the same way as it does from other corrupt individuals in other countries the U.S. currently sanctions.
  • The Texas–Mexico trade relationship should motivate Texas policymakers to adopt punitive measures against corrupt Mexican elites who have property or profit from business interests in the Lone Star State.
  • The Texas Legislature should adopt policies that enable Texas to seize the property of Mexican elites in Texas if they are convicted of crimes that involve the use of such property as proceeds, instrumentality, or evidence.
  • Texas should compile a list of corrupt Mexican elites and request the federal government to deny them entry to the U.S. or revoke their visas.

To view the full research, please click here.