Horrific violence is continuing to unfold along America's southern border as warring cartels battle for control of the drug trade. Two Republicans now say it's time for U.S. troops to get involved.

According to the Washington Examiner, Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw and Florida Rep. Mike Waltz put out a joint statement this week in which they discussed a bill which would allow for the deployment of military forces.

Crenshaw: Time to "directly target" cartels

"The cartels are at war with us — poisoning more than 80,000 Americans with fentanyl every year, creating a crisis at our border, and turning Mexico into a failed narco-state," Crenshaw was quoted as saying.

"It’s time we directly target them. My legislation will put us at war with the cartels by authorizing the use of military force against the cartels," he explained.

"We cannot allow heavily armed and deadly cartels to destabilize Mexico and import people and drugs into the United States," the former Navy SEAL stressed, adding, "We must start treating them like ISIS — because that is who they are."

Meanwhile Waltz said that "an AUMF (authorization for use of military force) would give the President sophisticated military cyber, intelligence, and surveillance resources to disrupt cartel operations that are endangering Americans."

Crenshaw and Waltz are not the only Republicans who say that the military needs to be brought to bear against Mexican drug cartels.

Trump promises to deploy military if reelected

Fox News reported last week that former President Donald Trump vowed to deploy troops if he is reelected next year.

"Joe Biden has sided against the United States and with the cartels," Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social. "Biden’s open border policies are a deadly betrayal of our nation."

"When I am president, it will be the policy of the United States to take down the cartels, just as we took down ISIS and the ISIS caliphate – and just as, unlike the situation we are in today, we had a very, very strong border," he pledged.

Trump said this would include ordering "the Department of Defense to make appropriate use of special forces, cyber warfare, and other overt and covert actions to inflict maximum damage on cartel leadership, infrastructure and operations."

For his part, Waltz expressed agreement with Trump's approach during an interview with Fox News and tweeted that the former president "is absolutely right."

Trump is absolutely right: Mexican Cartels are paramilitary groups running our Southern Border & defeating the Mexican Army.

That’s why I’ll be introducing Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) legislation to go on the offense with military, cyber, intel & drones. pic.twitter.com/Af1HX1y8cV

— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) January 8, 2023

Crenshaw and Waltz' call for action comes even as Texas Republican Rep. Pat Fallon has introduced articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas for failing to curb the cross-border flow of drugs.