A majority of likely voters think the federal government should label Mexican drug cartels terrorist organizations, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll.
The survey found that 79% of American voters believe the drug cartels pose a serious threat to the United States, including 55% who say the threat is very serious. Just 16% don't believe the drug cartels are a serious threat.
The issue concerned individuals of all political stripes, with 89% of Republicans, 74% of Democrats, and 74% of independents saying it's a serious threat.
The poll also asked if the federal government should label Mexican drug cartels terrorist organizations and a 69% majority said it should. Again, there was bipartisan agreement on this point, with 80% of Republicans, 65% of Democrats, and 63% of independents saying the government should label the drug cartels terrorists.
Despite the political consensus on the cartels, President Joe Biden's staunchest opponents are most alarmed by the cartel threat, according to Rasmussen. Of voters who strongly disapprove of the president's job performance, 86% say the Mexican drug cartels are a very serious threat to the U.S. and only 7% are not in favor of labeling the cartels terrorist organizations.
Just 34% of those who strongly approve of Biden's job performance consider the Mexican cartels a very serious threat and 26% of them are not in favor of labeling them terrorist organizations.
Federal lawmakers have moved to address the issue of cartel violence in the wake of the kidnapping of four Americans in Mexico earlier this month. The group had traveled to Mexico so one of the victims could have cosmetic surgery and two did not survive.
Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan., reintroduced the Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act last week, which would provide federal law enforcement with additional powers to fight back against the cartels by formally designating them as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
"What happened in Mexico yesterday was a tragedy and a symptom of a larger problem stemming from the culture supported by our national leadership," Marshall said in a statement. "The drug cartels have taken full advantage of the culture of lawlessness Joe Biden has created by leaving our southern border wide open, promoting cashless bail, defunding the police, turning his back on violent riots, and denying the fentanyl crisis is created by his policies."
Attorney General Merrick Garland said there are "diplomatic concerns" to consider in going after the cartels.
"They are already designated in any number of ways and sanctioned," Garland said during a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. "I wouldn't oppose it, but, again, I want to point out that there are diplomatic concerns. We need the assistance of Mexico in this."
The poll was conducted March 9 and 12 to 13 and surveyed 950 likely U.S. voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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