Cracking down on cartels recruiting teenage Arizonans through social media

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - In Washington, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema introduced the Combating Cartels on Social Media Act.

Additionally, Senators Mark Kelly, James Lankford (R-Okla), and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn) are also sponsoring the act.

Correspondingly, in a press release, this bipartisan legislation cracks down on cartels recruiting teenage Arizonans via social media to conduct smuggling and trafficking.

Firstly, Sinema reasons, “Cartels recruit teenage Arizonans to support smuggling and trafficking near our border, luring them into dangerous and illegal activities for easy cash that puts their lives and others at serious risk. We’re cracking down on this criminal activity, holding social media platforms accountable, and securing our border,”

Secondly, as for why he co-sponsored the act, Lankford says, “Social media companies like YouTube and Facebook list in their ‘terms of service’ that their platform cannot be used for illegal activities, but then they allow human smugglers to buy ads, promote how to illegally enter the US, and demonstrate how to avoid the US Border Patrol when crossing the border."

In addition to Sinema and Lankford, Kelly and Hagerty also agree with and made statements similar to their colleagues.