Montenegro Introduces Bills to Designate Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations

Arizona Speaker of the House Steve Montenegro (R-29) is introducing legislation to designate the Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) under Arizona law.

Rep. Montenegro's bills, House Bill 2855 (HB2855) and House Concurrent Resolution 2055 (HCR2055) authorize the Arizona Department of Homeland Security (AZDOHS) to take all necessary action to fight back against the cartels.

In his press release, Rep. Montenegro said, "Arizona is on the frontlines of a war that Washington has refused to fight until President Trump arrived. These cartels are not just smuggling drugs; they are running sophisticated, brutal operations that profit off human misery—trafficking women and children, flooding our streets with fentanyl, and killing Americans at an unprecedented rate."

As a result, the Arizona Speaker of the House emphasized the urgency of the bill's passage, adding, "This is a necessary step in our fight to defend Arizona communities, uphold the rule of law, and protect innocent lives.

The key difference, however, is that HB2855 would go through the Arizona House and Senate to be signed by Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ). If Gov. Hobbs were to veto the bill, HCR2055 would come into play. HCR2055 would allow the designation of the cartels as terrorist organizations to be on the ballot with Arizona voters.

Gov. Hobbs previously vetoed an earlier version of the bill passed by the House and Senate in 2023, arguing that AZDOHS had no authority to designate entities as foreign terrorist organizations.

"Governor Hobbs vetoed this legislation in the last session, but with HB2855, we're giving her another opportunity to do the right thing and sign it. If she refuses, Republicans will send HCR2055 to the Arizona voters—giving the people a direct say in the fight against drug cartels and the devastation they bring to our communities," Montenegro continued.

The bill comes on the heels of another piece of legislation introduced by State Representative David Marshall (R-7) and sponsored by Attorney General Kris Mayes, which would authorize Arizona law enforcement to intercept and destroy drones used by the cartels to reconnoiter and smuggle drugs across the border.