Ignorance Isn’t Bliss: Mexican Cartels’ Wristbands Underscore Mayorkas’ Willful Blindness on Border

In a heated exchange with Sen. Ted Cruz in late March, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he had no knowledge of the use of wristbands by Mexican cartels at the Texas-Mexico border.

Texas lawmakers, including Cruz, aren’t buying it.

Mayorkas’ widely reported interaction with Cruz, a Republican, only invited more questions as to the competency of the homeland security chief.

Color-coded wristbands, given to them by dangerous, unscrupulous Mexican cartel members for a price, are being worn by migrants trying to illegally cross into the U.S.

The wristbands help cartels track illegal migrants who still owe them money for assisting with the illicit crossing.

Mayorkas’ admission of being completely oblivious to the issue hasn’t been well-received and has further bolstered a consensus among many that he isn’t qualified to serve as homeland security chief and must be impeached.

Texas is arguably the hardest-hit state when it comes to border issues, and officials in the Lone Star State don’t accept Mayorkas’ claims of ignorance.

“If you don’t know what’s going on down here, you should be impeached,” said Jimmy Fullen, constable of Precinct 2 in Galveston County, Texas, calling Mayorkas’ actions “treasonous.”

A law enforcement officer of 34 years, Fullen is currently the Republican nominee for Galveston County sheriff in 2024. He was appointed in 2021 by Galveston County Judge Mark Henry as the lead coordinator of the Galveston County Border Security Task Force and remains in charge of directing constables and county sheriff’s deputies to help at the border with Operation Lone Star.

Fullen has made numerous trips to the border in his efforts to thwart criminal activity pouring into the Lone Star State. He emphasizes that as a result of heavy interdiction conducted by law enforcement, numerous arrests have been made; specifically, of human smugglers attempting to bring illegal migrants into Texas counties and communities undetected.

And that’s not the only crime. “We have assaults, break-ins, robberies, property damage,” Fullen said.

Property owners along the Texas border are experiencing notable property damage and loss, for which until recently there was little or no relief.

In response, Texas state Sen. Mayes Middleton co-authored a bill passed by the Texas Legislature in June that looks to reduce the invasive harm by protecting property owners.

SB 1133 outlines the provision of compensation for agricultural landowners for property damage arising from specific border crimes, such as smuggling of persons, human trafficking, and drug offenses.

Prior to serving in the Texas Senate, Middleton vowed to minimize the impact of illegal immigration by keeping border security issues a top priority while representing Galveston and Chambers counties in the Texas House of Representatives.

“Border security is national security, and the federal government is willfully leaving Texas to suffer the consequences of [President Joe] Biden’s open-border policies. The bottom line is, we are under an invasion,” he said, adding:

SB 1133 helps border-region landowners who are suffering damages from the illegal immigration recover real property damages for things like fences and livestock. This helps compensate landowners for the consequences of the disastrous federal open-border policies.

Finishing the wall must continue to be a top priority in securing our border.

According to the office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Operation Lone Star, a multiagency effort, has led to more than 394,200 illegal-immigrant apprehensions and with more than 29,100 felony charges reported. Additionally, the Texas Department of Public Safety has seized more than 422 million lethal doses of fentanyl during the border operation. 

Texas state Rep. Terri Leo-Wilson said, “The local impact is substantial—fentanyl, human trafficking. Schools and medical are overrun by people not paying for services. It is not sustainable.”

Leo-Wilson, who succeeded Middleton in the Texas House, added: “It seems a rather intentional blind eye by the feds to change the fabric of our nation.”

As demonstrated by his exchange with Cruz, that blind eye is Mayorkas’.