Senators Demand Evidence After Trump's DEA Pick Claims Cartels Work 'Hand in Hand' with Mexican Officials

Terrance Cole, President Trump's nominee to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, told the Senate Judiciary Committee this week that Mexican drug cartels operate "hand in hand" with government officials in Mexico, a claim that drew sharp reactions from lawmakers and raised concerns about potential diplomatic repercussions.

When asked by committee member U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) what percentage of Mexico is dominantly governed by cartels, Cole answered:

"I would say a majority. I left DEA in 2019 from Mexico City and saw the dominance the cartels had at that time. (The Jalisco New Generation Cartel) controlled 24 of the states in Mexico"

Graham continued to press Cole by asking him: "You're telling us that our neighbor in Mexico, when it comes to law enforcement and other activities, is pretty much controlled by cartels?" to which Cole, a 20-year DEA veteran who left the agency in 2019 after serving in Mexico City, said: "They work hand in hand. Yes, sir."

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) challenged Cole's assertions, calling them a "pretty serious accusation" and requesting supporting evidence, as Border Report recounted. Cole pointed to multiple court cases, including the 2023 conviction of Genaro García Luna, Mexico's former public safety secretary, who was sentenced to 38 years in U.S. federal prison for aiding the Sinaloa cartel.

The nominee then expressed cautious optimism about cooperation with the administration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, noting that her public safety chief, Omar García Harfuch, has survived an assassination attempt and shows promise. "There is a lot of good will faith," Cole said.

The nominee's comments echo earlier statements he made after retiring from the DEA in 2020, as ProPublica pointed out in a profile of Cole on Tuesday. In an interview with Breitbart, Cole alleged widespread complicity between Mexican officials and cartels:

"The Mexican drug cartels work hand-in-hand with corrupt Mexican government officials at high levels. If the average taxpayer had a basic understanding of how these two groups work together still — to this minute — they would be sickened"

Cole's nomination comes at a time of strained U.S.-Mexico relations on counternarcotics cooperation. Mexico has limited DEA operations within its borders in recent years, with Sheinbaum reaffirming her predecessor's restrictions. "We will never permit interventionism," she stated in a press conference in late February.

ProPublica also reported that Cole previously led efforts within the DEA to investigate corrupt Mexican officials, an unusual move at the time. The efforts helped lead to the indictment of the García Luna.

However, Cole's career has also drawn scrutiny. A 2017 ProPublica investigation linked his handling of intelligence on the Zetas cartel to a massacre in Allende, Mexico. Cole has not publicly addressed the incident, and the White House has declined to comment, citing ongoing prosecutions.