DHS Secretary Warns About Cartels at Mexico Border

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin asserted that cartels control «every inch» of the border between Mexico and the United States. His statements reignite debate over border security, drug trafficking, and bilateral coordination.

The official’s message aims to justify new barriers and increased surveillance at the southern border. It also refocuses attention on drug trafficking routes, human trafficking, and political dispute over how to stop them.

What exactly did the secretary say?

Mullin spoke before Congress and asserted that nine cartels dominate different stretches of Mexico’s northern border. According to him, those groups operate through «plazas» with leaders identified by authorities.

The official asserted that the government already knows those bosses and is seeking to arrest them. The central point of his message was that the border is not only being patrolled by law enforcement, but also disputed by criminal organizations.

🔴»There is not a single centimeter of the border that cartels do not control,» states Markwayne Mullin, U.S. National Security Secretary

Before the House of Representatives, he noted that nine criminal organizations maintain control in the border area between Mexico and… pic.twitter.com/HgQhZAHMrf

— Azucena Uresti (@azucenau) June 25, 2026

During the hearing, he asserted that cartels adapt their methods to breach existing barriers. That is why he defended construction of a second wall in specific zones.

The House of Representatives was the venue where this argument was repeated. The session was part of the budget and national security oversight that Congress conducts on the DHS.

What are «plazas»?

In cartel terminology, a plaza is a controlled territory. It does not mean only a geographic point. It also implies command, collection, surveillance, and rules imposed by the cartel. Mullin said these territories have leaders known to authorities. He asserted that the government is pursuing them one by one.

This structure is important because it helps understand the scope of the problem. This is not merely about isolated illegal crossings. It involves criminal corridors that organize the passage of drugs and people.

The Department of Homeland Security has insisted that the southern border faces increasingly flexible networks. In practice, this requires combining physical barriers, technological surveillance, and cooperation with Mexico.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has noted in other reports that criminal groups change tactics when controls increase. This constant adaptation explains why each new wall generates new routes.

Why does the wall return to the debate?

Because Mullin said cartels cut segments of the infrastructure before authorities can respond. This argument reinforces the idea of a border that needs more layers of defense.