Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a raft of border security bills on Thursday, including a bill designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations.
Last September, Abbott issued an executive order to designate drug cartels as terrorist organizations and direct resources to counter these groups. The bill Abbott signed on Thursday, SB 1900, expands his prior executive order into law. Republican Texas state Senator Brian Birdwell and Republican Rep. Ryan Guillen coauthored SB 1900.
The newly signed bill imposes increased legal penalties for those found to be operating cartel stash houses or destroying illegal drug stashes. Local authorities will also be able to seek public nuisance claims against the cartels….