Fox News reported:

On Friday, Mexican President André Manuel López Obrador made a statement blaming the U.S. fentanyl crisis on a shortage of “hugs and embraces.” This is one of several comments made by the Mexican president regarding the matter, in which he has attempted to downplay the involvement of violent drug cartels in the distribution of the lethal drug in the United States. During a press conference, the Mexican leader controversially claimed that the lack of affectionate gestures was the root cause of the fentanyl crisis in the U.S.

“There is a lot of disintegration of families. There is a lot of individualism. There is a lack of love, of brotherhood, of hugs and embraces,” López Obrador said.”That is why [U.S. officials] should be dedicating funds to address the causes.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland recently told lawmakers Mexico was helping the U.S. with the issue of fentanyl, but could still be doing more. He also said the epidemic is being “unleashed on purpose” by the cartels.

Fentanyl is predominantly manufactured in Mexico using Chinese components and then smuggled across the border, frequently through official entry points but also at other locations. In December, the DEA disclosed that the majority of fentanyl transported by the Sinaloa and CJNG Cartels was created in covert facilities located in Mexico, employing chemicals mainly sourced from China.

During the last fiscal year, 14,000 pounds of the drug were confiscated at the southern border, while over 11,000 pounds have already been intercepted this fiscal year. The National Institute of Health reports that more than 70,000 fatalities in the United States in 2021 were attributed to fentanyl.

Several legislators have urged for the classification of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and some have even proposed the idea of military intervention to dismantle the drug laboratories in Mexico.

“We’re going to use the full force and power of the United States to confront these cartels,” Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) declared earlier this month. “We’re going to dismantle their business and their way of life because safeguarding our national security and the well-being of the United States necessitates decisive measures.”

López Obrador is clearly trying to address lawmakers who are calling for the U.S. to do more to stop cartels from killing Americans. This is not the first time he has told this lie. Indeed, these overdoses could be reclassified as poisoning. The Texas state legislature is considering a measure that would do just that, along with levying murder charges against anyone who knowingly manufactures or distributes the opioid.

The issue is that most of those who end up consuming fentanyl that comes over the southern border are not aware they are doing so. This is because regular street drugs like marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, and others are now being laced with it.

But the Mexican president’s comments suggest something even more nefarious: His government is not going to lift a finger to stop these cartels from murdering American civilians. Indeed, the Mexican government is known for its rampant corruption. The drug cartels have a strong hold over the country and will not cease their activities until they are forced to.

I’m not sure sending in U.S. military operatives is the right answer. But in this case, it is appropriate for the government to act. Its role is to protect our natural rights and drug cartels are actively taking American lives with the help of China. It seems to me that the key is to apply enough pressure on the Mexican government and drug cartels to make it more costly for them to continue their activities than to give it up. Unfortunately, it does not appear that we have a president who is willing to do what it takes.