Speaking in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday morning, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard outlined major threats facing the United States from state and non-state actors around the globe.
First, Gabbard started with gangs and cartels.
"Based on the latest reporting available, for a year-long period ending October 2024, cartels were largely responsible for the deaths of more than 54,000 U.S. citizens from synthetic opioids. Mexico-based transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) are the main suppliers of illicit fentanyl to the U.S. market and are adapting to enforcement and regulatory pressures by using multiple sources and methods to procure precursor chemicals and equipment primarily from China and India, many of which are dual-use chemicals used in legitimate industries. Independent fentanyl producers are increasingly fragmenting the drug trade in Mexico. The availability of precursor chemicals and ease of making illicit fentanyl have enabled independent actors to increase illicit fentanyl production and smuggling operations in Mexico," Gabbard detailed, adding that Trump's border policies are helping to blunt the threat.
.@DNIGabbard: "Heightened U.S. border security enforcement and deportations under the Trump Administration are proving to serve as a deterrent for migrants seeking to illegally cross U.S. borders. U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border in January 2025 dropped… pic.twitter.com/oYFCkxMX08
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 25, 2025
"Cartels profit from human-trafficking, and likely facilitated more than 2 million illegal immigrants encountered by law enforcement at the U.S. southwest border in 2024, straining vital resources and putting the American people at risk. Criminal groups drive much of the unrest and lawlessness in the Western Hemisphere. They also engage in extortion, weapons and human smuggling, and other illicit and dangerous revenueseeking operations, including kidnappings for ransom, forced labor, and sex trafficking," she continued. "These and other human traffickers exploit vulnerable individuals and groups by promising well-paying jobs and confiscating identification documents. They operate in the shadows, exploiting lawlessness in various areas, and by using coercion and intimidation to control their victims."
Then, she moved onto Islamic terrorism, Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
"Transnational lslamist extremists, such as ISIS and al-Qa'ida, and affiliated jihadi groups, continue to pursue, enable, or inspire attacks against the United States and our citizens, abroad and within the Homeland, to advance their ultimate objective of establishing a global lslamist caliphate," Gabbard said. "The IC [intelligence community] sees China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea engaging in activities that could challenge U.S. capabilities and interests, especially related to our security and economy. These actors are, in some cases, working together in different areas to target U.S. interests and protect themselves from U.S. sanctions."
Gabbard testified along side CIA Director John Ratcliffe, NSA Director Timothy Haugh, DIA Director Jeffrey Kruse and FBI Director Kash Patel.
Editor's Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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