Verdict with Ted Cruz
Episode: On the Road in Mexico Urging the Mexican Government to get Serious about Defeating Cartels plus Dems Bemoan Trump's Fighting Violent Crime
Date: September 1, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson

Episode Overview

In this episode, Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson discuss Cruz's recent congressional delegation (CODEL) trip across Latin America, focusing on his meetings in Mexico to urge the Mexican government to take direct action against powerful drug cartels and work cooperatively with the United States. The episode also covers the U.S. political response to violent crime and illegal immigration, highlighting the contrasting approaches of Democratic leaders such as Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the Trump administration’s focus on law and order.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Senator Cruz’s Latin American CODEL: Key Takeaways

[03:10–07:15]

• El Salvador:

  • Met President Bukele; praised El Salvador's dramatic drop in murder rate—from the world’s highest (100/100,000) to now one of the world’s lowest (1.9/100,000).
  • Credited strong leadership and political will in prioritizing citizen safety and defeating gangs such as MS-13 and the 18th Street Barrio.
    • “That is three times safer than the United States of America. We’re just over six murders per 100,000. El Salvador is now three times as safe.” (Ted Cruz, 03:52)

• Panama:

  • Toured Panama Canal, stressed its engineering feat and strategic security importance for the U.S.
  • Warned about increasing Chinese investment and potential influence at both ends of the canal (ports, bridge, and metro tunnel projects).
    • “You could see China’s strategic location to be able to shut down the Panama Canal should we have a military conflict with China.” (Ted Cruz, 05:20)

2. Urging the Mexican Government to Tackle Cartels

[07:15–07:52] and [09:14–25:04]

• Meetings with Senior Officials:

  • Met with Mexico’s Foreign, Defense, and Agriculture Secretaries—focus was on border security and “taking out the Mexican drug cartels.”
  • Cruz highlighted border crossings dropping by 99% since Trump’s return, and asked Mexico to partner with the U.S. against the cartels.
    • “My request to the Mexican government is, I said, listen, the United States stands ready to assist Mexico in eliminating the cartels.” (Ted Cruz, 12:44)

• Economic Cooperation vs. Security:

  • Positive discussion about $800 billion annual trade, with $300 billion between Texas and Mexico alone.
  • Expansion of trade and infrastructure (new bridges) discussed, but Cruz stressed that such cooperation hinges on security.

• Cartel Empowerment under Biden:

  • Cited New York Times statistics: Cartel profits from human trafficking rose from $500M (2018) to $13B (2023), a 2,600% increase.
  • Blamed Biden’s open border policies for cartel enrichment and resultant violence in both countries.
    • “What Joe Biden and the Democrats did to Mexico was horrible. Mexico paid a very real price for that.” (Ted Cruz, 11:10)

• Mexican Response – Sovereignty First:

  • Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and officials firmly rejected U.S. military help, insisting on sovereignty (“sovereignty, sovereignty, sovereignty”).
    • “Yesterday, Mexico’s president... her answer was: absolutely not. No, we do not want America’s help. This is Mexico. We will handle it internally.” (Ted Cruz, 14:06)
  • Mexican congress even saw a fist fight break out over the prospect of American involvement.

• Historical Analogies Urged:

  • Cruz invoked successes in El Salvador and Colombia (Plan Colombia) as models for cooperation with U.S. military help against criminal organizations.
    • “President Uribe said to the United States, yes, we want your help. And the American military came into Colombia and just all but eradicated the terrorists.” (Ted Cruz, 16:40)

3. U.S. Approaches to Cartels and Sovereignty

[19:56–25:04]

• Terrorist Designation Debate:

  • Mexican officials declined to recognize cartels as terrorist organizations; instead, labeled them as “ordinary criminals.”
    • “General Travilla came in... He says, well, the cartels are not terrorists. We do not think they're terrorists; they're just ordinary criminals.” (Ted Cruz, 20:22)

• Cruz’s Warning:

  • Stressed that continued Mexican refusal will not prevent U.S. action, especially as cartels threaten American lives.
    • “I find it very hard to believe that four years will pass and the United States will not act in a serious military manner against these drug cartels.” (Ted Cruz, 22:07)
  • Reminded officials of recent U.S. decisive military actions abroad (Iran, Osama bin Laden), with or without host country cooperation.

• Final Mexican Posture:

  • Public defiance from President Sheinbaum, appealing to nationalist sentiment, refusing U.S. military involvement.
    • “It was defiance. It was giving in to the populist, stand up to America rhetoric.” (Ted Cruz, 25:04)

4. U.S. Domestic Politics: Crime and the Democrats' Stance

[29:56–36:52]

• Governor JB Pritzker’s Crime Claims:

  • Highlighted Pritzker’s claim of “succeeding at fighting violent crime” in Illinois despite devastating murder rates in Chicago.
    • “JB Pritzker says he’s succeeding at fighting violent crime in Chicago... Chicago's murder rate is three times higher than Los Angeles, five times higher than New York City...” (Ted Cruz, 32:05)
  • Criticized Pritzker and Democrats for opposing federal immigration enforcement and for, in Cruz’s words, “picking the criminal every single time.”
    • “If they have a conflict between a murderer and a victim... the Democrats will pick the criminal every single time. They're not even pretending anymore.” (Ted Cruz, 33:32)

• Democratic Party Political Outlook:

  • Ferguson and Cruz discussed perceptions of chaos and lack of leadership, mentioning Obama’s rumored return to mentor the party.
  • Cruz cautioned Republicans not to become complacent despite current political winds favoring them, referencing strong Democratic fundraising and voter enthusiasm.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On El Salvador’s Crime Reduction
  • “That number has plummeted by 98%. Last year their murder rate was 1.9 per 100,000. That is among the safest in the world. That is three times safer than the United States of America.” (Ted Cruz, 03:49)
• On China’s Role in Panama
  • “China right now has a major port at the mouth of both ends of the canal... should there be a conflict in the Pacific, the Chinese would like to force our Atlantic fleet to stay in the Atlantic and not be able to traverse the canal.” (Ted Cruz, 05:33)
• On Cartel Economic Growth
  • “2018... the cartels made roughly $500 million from human trafficking…last year...over $13 billion...that is a 2,600% increase.” (Ted Cruz, 11:20)
• On Mexican Officials’ Pushback
  • “Both of them, the phrase they repeated most often was ‘sovereignty.’ They kept saying, ‘sovereignty, sovereignty, sovereignty, Mexico.’” (Ted Cruz, 14:23)
• On Future U.S. Action
  • “I believe sometime in the next four years, you will see strong, decisive military action against the cartels. The choice...is, which way do you want it to go?...Cooperation is the best way as friends and neighbors.” (Ted Cruz, 23:21)
• On Democratic Criminal Justice Policies
  • “The Democrats are becoming more and more open that if they have a conflict between a murderer and a victim…they will pick the criminal every single time.” (Ted Cruz, 33:32)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:10 – Cruz summarizes CODEL trip and successes in El Salvador
• 05:20 – Chinese strategic activity near Panama Canal
• 09:55 – Cruz recounts economic and security dialogue with Mexican Foreign Secretary
• 12:44 – U.S. offer to help Mexico confront cartels; economic impact of cartels under Biden
• 14:06 – Mexican leadership’s refusal, emphasis on “sovereignty,” recounting historic analogies
• 19:56 – Trump doctrine on cartel terrorism; debate with Mexican defense officials
• 22:07 – Cruz presses Mexican officials; options for U.S. military action
• 25:04 – Sheinbaum’s public rejection; nationalist politics in Mexico
• 29:56 – Segment shift: critique of JB Pritzker and Democratic leadership on violent crime
• 32:05 – Detailed murder rate comparison, in-depth criticism of Democratic urban policy

Overall Tone and Takeaways

• Tone: Forceful, direct, often confrontational; Cruz asserts U.S. interests but appeals to history, diplomacy, and shared threats.
• Ben Ferguson acts as an engaged, supportive interviewer, framing issues in terms of security and contrasting Republican and Democratic approaches.
• Cruz repeatedly positions Democratic leaders as not just ineffectual but complicit, drawing hard lines over law, order, and sovereignty.
• The episode intertwines foreign policy (cartels, U.S.-Mexico relations) and domestic crime debates, arguing for a unified conservative response and ongoing vigilance heading into midterm elections.

For listeners seeking a clear, unapologetically conservative perspective on cross-border narco-violence and U.S. domestic crime, this episode delivers both the inside-the-room perspective and broader political context—punctuated by trademark Ted Cruz candor.