As governments and nations focus
on the coronavirus,
there's a growing threat that cartels,
criminals, terrorists
and other malign actors will try to
exploit this situation for their own gain.
And we must not let that happen,
we will never let that happen.
– We're at war with Covid-19,
we're at war with terrorists
and we are at war with
the drug cartels as well.
This is the United States military.
You will not penetrate this country.
You will not get passed Jump Street.
You're not going to come in here
and kill additional Americans.
– For the Department of Justice,
one of highest priorities must remain
destroying the Mexican cartels.
[Reporter] What has changed that
is allowing these assets to be deployed now,
whereas General Barr said in the past
they were not available?
– Well, for a long time we've had a lot
of drugs coming into our country
and, it's not that it's increased,
we've probably got it down a little bit,
but it's still a tremendous number.
– First of all, it's simply a matter
of prioritisation.
The president's given us very clear
guidance on what's important to him
and protecting the American people.
– It'll also have an impact on the virus
because we have people trying to get in.
So, not only drugs but now we have
a new phenomenon
and that's at least for the next,
hopefully, short period of time, the virus.
So we'll be able to have an impact
on that too. Please.
[Reporter] Yeah, Mr President, could you
expand on that a little bit
because you tied it to Covid-19, saying
that these drug cartels
were taking advantage of the situation,
of this pandemic. How exactly ... ?
– Well, because we're focused on so
many other parts of the country
and even parts of the world
and, all of a sudden, areas where we
had it clamped down pretty tight ...
In all fairness, you know, the wall is up
to about 160 miles already
and any areas where we have that wall –
it's for the most part continuous,
we have fill-ins, but we're
up to 161 miles exactly.
And any place where you have that wall,
other than walking around it on the edges,
it's stopping everybody cold.
