El-Sayed blames American guns for rise of Mexican cartels, pushes working 'diplomatically'

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said Wednesday the U.S. needs to work "diplomatically" to combat Mexican cartels and blamed American guns for their rise.

Appearing on "The Moment Podcast," El-Sayed was asked by co-hosts Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos about the Trump administration's efforts to fight Mexican cartels since the beginning of President Donald Trump's second term in 2025. 

When asked whether he would support using troops or drones, El-Sayed rejected the idea and suggested that the U.S. bears some responsibility for their rise.

"Let's be clear, American-manufactured guns are responsible for a lot of the cartels," El-Sayed said.

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Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed spoke about the Mexican cartels on "The Moment Podcast" (Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

He emphasized the need to be "working diplomatically" to address the flow of drugs and guns across the border and "contain" what he referred to as "cartel behavior" involving U.S. guns.

"We need to be working with Mexican counterparts to support them in an effort to contain cartels," El-Sayed said. "Containing cartels doesn't mean that we go and do war-like actions south of the border. It means working alongside them to ask what is the flow of guns that might be turned into cartel behavior down the stretch.

"How do we address our side of things?" he continued. "And how do we get serious about the complex system that is cartel behavior, and how do we stop the flow of fentanyl coming northward?"

El-Sayed's campaign reiterated his position to Fox News Digital, saying, "Abdul was referring to working with the Mexican government to crack down on the cartels to prevent the flow of guns and illegal drugs across the border."

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Abdul El-Sayed had previously supported abolishing ICE. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the Department of Homeland Security for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

Although El-Sayed criticized the lack of control over drugs or guns crossing the border, he previously called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

El-Sayed's comments came a month after the Trump administration, through the Treasury Department, sanctioned 21 individuals and 25 entities linked to Los Mayos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.

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The Trump administration has targeted Mexican drug cartels since the beginning of President Donald Trump's second term. (Stringer/Reuters:Evan Vucci/Reuters)

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"Today’s action underscores that no cartel kingpin, corrupt Mexican government official or financial facilitator is beyond the reach of Treasury’s authorities," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News Digital at the time. 

"Our message is clear: The Trump administration will identify and disrupt any cartel actor who threatens our security or the integrity of our financial system."

Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to lindsay.kornick@fox.com and on Twitter: @lmkornick.