Grassley Calling on County Sheriffs to Help Map Local Cartel Influence

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley is calling on Iowa’s 99 county sheriffs to help map local cartel influence.

Grassley’s office says cartel-driven drug and human trafficking operations are soaring as a result of the southern border crisis, but the local impact of cartel activity often remains unclear due to a lack of comprehensive data. 

Iowa law enforcement are best-positioned to understand the impact of organized crime in their communities, so  Grassley is asking county sheriffs for assistance in exposing local cartel influence and strengthening national security. 

Grassley sent letters on Tuesday (included below) to every county sheriff in Iowa requesting the following information:

• Which, if any, cartels operate in their respective county; 
• The number and type of criminal investigations tied to the cartels; 
• Human trafficking statistics; and 
• What federal resources would help to tackle cartel-related issues in their counties.

 Grassley says we must make clear to the cartels that Iowa is not open to their sinister business.

August 15, 2023

Dear Sheriff,

Over the past two years, the United States has experienced more than five million illegal border crossings, fueling a human trafficking crisis.  The federal government’s response has been underwhelming, and at times inept. Our Southern Border is now open, the Department of Health and Human Services continues to place children with abusive sponsors and cartel operatives have set up shop in our country, including in Iowa.  Drug trafficking organizations have mutated into human trafficking organizations that exploit lax border enforcement and establish roots in communities across our country.  The problem demands a coordinated response. That is why I am writing to you. 

Iowa law enforcement is at the forefront of the fight against human trafficking, drug running and the cartels. Iowa holds the cross-section between major smuggling routes I-35 and I-80, and our law enforcement police those routes every day. Cartel associates have spread from major cities to rural communities in an effort to escape detection. We have to get ahead of this problem and send a clear message: Iowa’s corridor is not open to cartels, and Iowa will not allow the enforcement failures on the Southern Border to jeopardize health and safety in our communities. I am asking your help to better understand the cartel’s current footprint in Iowa and what federal resources and policies are needed to dismantle it. 

Please e-mail my office over the next month using the instructions provided by my staff in the email transmitting this letter with information about which, if any, cartels operate in your local area; the number and type of criminal investigations tied to the cartels; human trafficking statistics; and what federal resources would help your office tackle these ongoing issues. Thank you for keeping our communities safe.

Sincerely, 

Charles E. Grassley