President Joe Biden on Tuesday traveled to Mexico City for a meeting with his counterparts, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, for the North American Leaders’ Summit. 

Ahead of the summit Biden and Obrador discussed "increased cooperation" to prevent drug trafficking across the southern border.

Meanwhile back in Washington, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., plans to introduce legislation that would allow the U.S. military to take a more active role in addressing the problem.

What You Need To Know

  • President Joe Biden on Tuesday traveled to Mexico City for a meeting with his counterparts, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for the North American Leaders’ Summit

  • Ahead of the summit Biden and Obrador discussed "increased cooperation" to prevent drug trafficking across the southern border
  • Meanwhile back in Washington, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., plans to introduce legislation that would allow the U.S. military to take a more active role in addressing the problem

  • Waltz has been critical of the Biden administration's handling of the issue and says his concept for the legislation to target cartels is not new

Waltz argued drug cartels are overwhelming law enforcement agencies in Mexico by using armored vehicles, machine guns and other resources funded by their illegal activities.

"There's been various efforts over the years, but certainly not in a way that is targeting these cartels, with intelligence, with drones, with cyber going after their finances and resources with naval assets," Waltz told Spectrum News.

"So I want to be clear. I'm not talking American boots on the ground. I'm not talking [about] an invasion of Mexico, but there are all kinds of, even space assets, that we could be using to help the Mexican Army," he added.

Biden visited the southern border on Sunday, but his visit was met with backlash after Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill and in Texas accused him of being “two years too late.” 

According to a readout of Biden's meeting Monday with President López Obrador of Mexico​, the two "discussed increased cooperation to prosecute drug traffickers and dismantle criminal networks, disrupt the supply of illicit precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, shut down drug laboratories, and prevent trafficking of drugs, arms and people across" the southern border.  

Waltz has been critical of the Biden administration's handling of the issue and says his concept for the legislation to target cartels is not new. 

"We have a long history of doing this, but we've done it most directly with Colombia against their cartels. In the '80s and '90s, the cartels were marching toward taking over the Colombian government, shooting down civilian airliners, assassinating members of Congress and turning it into a narco state," Waltz told Spectrum News.

Walts added: "We came forward with a similar type of support package, and now those cartels are not gone, but they certainly aren't threatening to take over the state." 

Republicans now have narrow control over the House and Waltz says he's working to gain momentum for the bill. 

"I certainly have just talked to the new chairman of the Department of Homeland Security DHS Committee, Representative Mark Green, he's excited to work with us. He's also working on foreign terrorist designations for these cartels," Waltz said. 

"We need to go on offense. They have been on offense against us for far too long and getting away with it. It's time to hit back​," he continued.  

​The bill faces more uncertain odds in the Democrat-controlled Senate.