'This Is A Public Emergency': Baumgartner Decries Cartel Drug Trafficking In Indian Reservations

Forbes Breaking News

During a House Natural Resources Committee hearing prior to the congressional recess, Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) spoke about drug trafficking in Native American reservations.

Transcript

00:00Now, the gentleman from Washington, Mr. Baumgartner, is recognized for his five minutes.

00:07Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's a privilege to be here on this National Resources Subcommittee

00:13on Oversight Investigations Examining the Trump Administration's Work Combating Transnational

00:19Cartels in Indian Country. I appreciate the opportunity to wave onto the committee today.

00:24Your testimony was extremely important. I hope there are many members of the media listening

00:31and reporting on what is going on in Indian country with this scourge of drugs, particularly

00:36fentanyl. I care about this issue not just because I have multiple reservations in my district

00:41in eastern Washington, but also on a personal level. I grew up very near the Nez Perce reservation

00:45and played basketball for two years as a youngster out of Lapway and have connections there.

00:51But regardless of whether you have connections in the country or not, every American should

00:55care about this issue.

00:57As I said, I represent much of eastern Washington, from Colville and the Canadian border, Colville

01:03area and the Canadian border in the north down to the Walla Walla area, Oregon in the south.

01:07Like many communities, we are blue-collar, hardworking folks, people trying to do the right thing.

01:12Before I was elected to Congress, I took a trip down to the southern border during the Biden

01:16administration. While I was there, I saw illegal immigrants brazenly entering the country.

01:20The lawlessness was staggering. Drug cartels are a scourge in our country and our communities.

01:25Despite what critics of TUP immigration enforcement might argue, these thugs are a real threat that

01:30often live uncomfortably close to home. I have a few examples of how these notorious criminal

01:34organizations like Trenderagua, MS-13, and the 18th Street Gang often target federal lands

01:40in Indian country to hide and sell drugs in our communities. Just last week, a Mexican native

01:45drug trafficker was sentenced to 19 years in prison for an arrest where federal, state, local, and tribal

01:50law enforcement officers seized 161,000 fentanyl pills, approximately 80 pounds of methamphetamine,

01:57approximately six pounds of heroin, more than two pounds of cocaine, and 12 firearms. Investigators

02:02believe these drugs and firearms were destined for the Colville Indian Reservation, partially in my

02:07district and nearby. This thug was a high-ranking member of a trafficking group that had infiltrated

02:12parts of Washington, Montana, and nearby tribal reservations. This case involved one of the largest

02:17drug seizures ever in rural Washington, and this is not an isolated incident. In Yakima, Washington,

02:22just this month, 13 individuals, at least some of whom were criminal aliens, were charged or pleaded

02:27guilty to offenses related to trafficking in fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana on the Yakima

02:34nation reservation in the state. The joint DEA and Bureau of Indian Affairs operation, which concluded

02:39in June 25, 2025, seized over 7,000 pounds of marijuana, over 300 pounds of methamphetamine,

02:46nearly 25 pounds of cocaine, seven pounds of fentanyl powder, nearly 5,000 fentanyl-laced pills,

02:53over $22,000 in drug proceeds, and 12 firearms. Now, I don't know about any of you here today,

02:58but out of these discs, I say this is a public emergency. Let me be clear, we're at war with

03:04drugs, lords, and traffickers in our communities. To criminals and drug traffickers, you need to be

03:09arrested, you will be arrested, prosecuted, and held accountable. I will do everything,

03:13and I know members of Congress will do that to make sure of it. To people walking back home,

03:17if you see something, if you say something, I am proud that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act secured a

03:22historic $165 billion in funding for border security, including completion of the southern border wall,

03:28hiring and equipping thousands of additional customs and border protection officers,

03:31and immigration and customs enforcement personnel, launching and operating new border surveillance

03:36technologies, expanding criminal alien detention capacity, and increasing coordination among federal,

03:41state, and local law enforcement agencies. This legislative victory builds upon other key

03:46congressional achievements during the 119th Congress, such as passing the Lake and Riley Act,

03:50which mandates federal detention of illegal immigrants charged with theft, burglary,

03:54assaulting a law enforcement officer, and hearing crime, death, or serious bodily injury.

03:58The law is named in honor of a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by an illegal alien,

04:01previously arrested and paroled in the United States. I also support legislation like H.R. 3773,

04:07the Protect Act, to empower local law enforcement on Indian reservation to arrest and imprison these

04:12thugs. There's a lot more work to do, but I appreciate the work of this committee and those that

04:16called in to testify today. And I just want to say on a personal level, your concerns are being heard,

04:22and I very much appreciate the work you're doing to unite this Congress, both Republicans and Democrats

04:29together to deal with this issue. Thank you very much. And I yield back, Mr. Chair. I think

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