California Sheriff: Cartels are infiltrating our communities, unleashing incredible violence and taking the lives of innocent people

Mike Boudreax, sheriff of Tulare County, California, said drug cartels are embedded in communities in his county, committing crimes and “taking the lives of innocent people.” He made the statement during a Congressional hearing titled “The Biden-Harris Border Crisis: Victim Perspectives” before the House Judiciary Committee on September 10.

“These cartels are infiltrating our communities, unleashing incredible violence and taking the lives of innocent people,” said Sheriff Mark Boudreaux.

California’s Tulare County region has historically had problems with illegal immigrants coming to work in agriculture, according to Sheriff Boudreaux.

There has been an increase in illegal immigrants over the past three years who have nothing to do with agriculture, and instead commit “violent crimes, human trafficking, drug trafficking, arms trafficking and crimes against children.”

In 2023, six Tulare County residents, including a mother and baby, were murdered, CNN reported.

The killings were not random and were linked to the cartels. Tulare County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Schwarm called the incident a “cartel-style execution.”

In 2018, Gustavo Garcia waged a 24-hour “reign of terror” throughout Tulare County, Sheriff Boudreax said. He was responsible for murder, shootings, armed robberies and carjackings. Garcia, who had been deported and arrested twice, could not be previously detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement due to California state law.

“California has essentially become an open space where the cartel can do whatever it wants,” Boudreax said. The Tulare sheriff called for immigration enforcement to be “actively and aggressively addressed by federal and state officials.”

According to his website, Sheriff Mark Boudreax is the current sheriff of Tulare County. He also represents the 58 local California sheriffs as president of the California State Sheriffs’ Association.