Representative Scott Wiggam Announces the Passage of his Bill to Designate Drug Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations

COLUMBUS – Scott Wiggam (R-Wooster) today announced the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 10, to urge the federal government to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. 

HCR 10 expresses the desire of the State of Ohio to have the Federal Government designate transnational criminal organizations, also known as Drug Cartels, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations pursuant to 8 USC 1189, to allow the government of the United States to use appropriate means to eliminate and/or mitigate the operations of these organizations which have such a profound negative impact upon the wellbeing of our state.

“Ohio sits at the epicenter of a national drug crisis,” Wiggam said. “Local Ohio law enforcement officials have seized enough fentanyl to kill more than half of the citizens of Ohio in just six recent major drug busts. Each of these drug seizures had direct connections to drug cartels because Ohio has become their distribution hub. The men and women in our local and state law enforcement agencies are doing a good job but they are up against criminal organizations that span state lines and national borders. We need more help from the Federal government.”

HCR 10 passed the Ohio House with 95 affirmative votes and one negative vote and will now head to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.