DeSantis Vows At Conservative Event He’ll Use ‘Deadly Force’ On Drug Traffickers At Border If Elected: ‘Leave Them Stone Cold Dead’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reassured Republicans that he would use “deadly force” against cartel members attempting to smuggle fentanyl into the country by leaving “them stone cold dead” at the southern border.

The Republican presidential hopeful spoke to GOP voters and activists on Friday at conservative conference The Gathering 2023, hosted by talk radio host Erick Erickson. DeSantis reaffirmed his commitment to use deadly force against those crossing the border illegally with drugs.

In the past, DeSantis has offered solutions to the border similar to Donald Trump, such as building the wall, and recently has taken it up a notch by stating that he’d use the military to go after the cartels in Mexico, should he become president.

“I’m going to send military down there will build a wall. Will do remain in Mexico, stop the invasion. We’ll do all that,” DeSantis told the audience. “But when you have cartels operating the way they are, they’re operating as akin to foreign terrorist organizations because they’re killing our people. They’re poisoning our people. So we are going to authorize the use of deadly force against the cartels.”

He added, “If you have somebody coming in with the fentanyl on there and the backpack, they even break through the border wall where there is wall. If they’re doing that, that’s the last thing they they’re going to be able to do because we’re going to leave them stone cold dead at the border. We’re not putting up with that anymore.”

Watch the full clip above via Erick Erickson on YouTube and The First TV.