Tulsi Gabbard credits Trump’s ‘seriousness’ after arrest of cartel boss who ran border under Biden

WASHINGTON, DC: : Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Fox News that the capture of Mexican cartel leader Leonardo Daniel “El Pato” Martinez Vera shows President Donald Trump’s “seriousness” and commitment to fighting crime.

During an interview on 'Fox & Friends Weekend,' co-host Griff Jenkins discussed El Pato’s arrest with Gabbard, who praised Trump and his administration for taking decisive action.

Since Trump’s return to office for his second term, illegal border crossings have dropped sharply from the levels seen under the Joe Biden administration, as per Daily Caller. Gabbard’s office confirmed that El Pato, also known as the Sinaloa Cartel plaza boss, was apprehended on Wednesday, October 15.

Tulsi Gabbard highlights Trump’s role in capturing cartel leader

Tulsi Gabbard praised President Donald Trump’s approach following the arrest of Leonardo Daniel “El Pato” Martinez Vera. “Yes, it’s very significant. This operation, I would love to tell you about how it was carried out,” said Gabbard.

According to Gabbard, Vera was a notorious Mexican cartel boss involved in extensive criminal operations, which included kidn**ping.

She said that El Pato’s arrest was made possible by intelligence gathered by the ODNI’s National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and she didn’t fail to mention Trump’s leadership. “Because our folks, who are working now without pay because of the Democrats’ government shutdown, worked tirelessly to get this guy arrested and behind bars, but also the public messaging that we did on behalf of President Trump shows his seriousness,” she said.

Gabbard emphasized that coordinated public messaging under Trump also reinforced the administration’s commitment to cracking down on cartels. “And this actually played an integral role in his (El Pato’s) continuing to be behind bars, because people are seeing President Trump is not messing around with this. If they try to resort to their own games of bribery and all of this other stuff, they then will be putting themselves in the target,” the DNI added. 

She added that the operation sends a clear warning to the cartel “plaza bosses” who have operated along the southern border under the Biden administration.

In a press release announcing the October 15 arrest, Gabbard stated, “We will not allow cartel gangs targeting Americans to operate freely, either in the US or across the border in Mexico. Our NCTC team is vigilant and ready to act.”

It also read, “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are surging resources against cartels and gang leadership, disrupting their networks, and working alongside our Mexican partners to make communities safer and protect American lives.”  

Trump’s FTO policy leads to major cartel crackdown

Right after President Donald Trump labeled cartels and transnational gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) in January, his administration prioritized targeting these violent criminal networks.

Under the direction of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) applied two decades of counterterrorism expertise to assist law enforcement in dismantling FTO-designated cartels.

Trump’s administration focused on dangerous groups such as the Sinaloa Cartel, and their coordinated efforts over nine months led to the successful arrest of major cartel leader El Pato. Additional intelligence support came from Texas’ Department of Public Safety and Customs and Border Protection units, while the operation was executed by Mexico’s SEDENA special forces, according to a press release from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.