Michigan Senate Candidate El-Sayed Calls for Diplomatic Efforts Against Cartels

Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Michigan, recently expressed his belief that diplomatic approaches are necessary to combat Mexican cartels. He attributed a significant part of the cartels’ rise to the availability of American-made guns.

El-Sayed discussed this topic on ‘The Moment Podcast’ with hosts Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos. When questioned about the Trump administration’s initiatives against the cartels since President Trump’s second term began in 2025, El-Sayed was clear about his opposition to the use of troops or drones. Instead, he highlighted the United States’ responsibility in the issue due to the supply of American weapons.

“Let’s be clear, American-manufactured guns are responsible for a lot of the cartels,” El-Sayed stated.

He underscored the importance of ‘working diplomatically’ to manage the movement of drugs and firearms across the border. He emphasized collaborating with Mexican counterparts to ‘contain cartel behavior’ that involves U.S. firearms.

El-Sayed said, “We need to be working with Mexican counterparts to support them in an effort to contain cartels. Containing cartels doesn’t mean that we go and do war-like actions south of the border. It means working alongside them to ask what is the flow of guns that might be turned into cartel behavior down the stretch.”

He went on to question, “How do we address our side of things? And how do we get serious about the complex system that is cartel behavior, and how do we stop the flow of fentanyl coming northward?”

His campaign reaffirmed his stance, noting his focus on collaborating with the Mexican government to curb the cross-border movement of guns and illegal drugs.

Previously, El-Sayed had advocated for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

His comments were timely, following a recent move by the Trump administration, where the Treasury Department sanctioned 21 individuals and 25 entities associated with ‘Los Mayos,’ part of the Sinaloa Cartel. This step highlighted the administration’s focus on disrupting cartel operations.

Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary, remarked, “Today’s action underscores that no cartel kingpin, corrupt Mexican government official, or financial facilitator is beyond the reach of Treasury’s authorities. Our message is clear: The Trump administration will identify and disrupt any cartel actor who threatens our security or the integrity of our financial system.”