Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart Joins Local 10 News on This Week in South Florida

Miami, FL – On Sunday, Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26) joined This Week in South Florida to discuss President Trump's tariffs, immigration, Venezuela, and Guantanamo Bay.

Click here to watch the full interview

On tariffs:

"100,000 Americans die every single year. 80,000 of those deaths are because of fentanyl. We know that the fentanyl is produced in China. The precursor chemicals are sent to Mexico, manufactured by the cartels, and then they're brought across the southern border and some on the northern border.

"For way too long, we've been accepting [under the previous administration] the deaths of Americans as if it was inevitable. It is not inevitable.

"I commend President Trump for saying enough is enough, and you [Mexico, Canada, and China] are going to have to take it seriously.

"I know that it's not the biggest problem coming out of Canada, but 1% of Americans are still dying. So, the concept that because you [Mexico and Canada] are not killing as many Americans or you are not responsible for allowing the deaths of that many Americans, we should just pretend it is not happening is not something that President Trump is willing to accept.

"Now, there seems to be a willingness [on behalf of our allies] to take it seriously because President Trump is in the White House. But because, as you know, for the last four years, the Mexican government has allowed this to happen. That's really mostly where the problem is coming from; the Mexican government has allowed this to happen and, in some cases, has facilitated it. Because you're an ally, it doesn't mean we should look the other way when you're doing things that are hurting the national security interest or, in this case, causing the death of Americans. That's just not acceptable.

"It's the issue of taking it seriously, letting the world know that we are going to treat our allies well, but our allies have to treat us like allies, and we're not willing to accept getting abused just because you call yourself an ally."

On immigration and TPS for Venezuelans:

"President Trump, as he promised the American people he would do, is reversing the damage of the previous administration, including the open border and all these things [that President Trump is doing] I've always supported.

"I worked with President Trump, who was the first person to give legal status to the Venezuelans here in exile. It was pre-TPS, as a matter of fact.

"Do I continue to support TPS for Venezuelans? Yes, I do. I clearly do, and I'm hoping we get to the point where we can now start doing a case-by-case review of those folks who obviously have political reasons why they can't be sent back.

"I understand what the president [Trump] is doing. I support what the president is doing in enforcing the law, but in the case of Venezuelan's TPS, which I do support as well, I'm hoping we're able to speak with the president and his administration on the details to make sure that we can get back to a process that works, including for those who have legitimate cases of asylum."

On President Trump's Envoy Meeting with Maduro and the release of six American hostages by the Maduro regime:

"My clear understanding and this is not hearsay, is that Mr. [Richard] Grenell's message was 'you have to take the "bad apples" back, and you have to release these hostages with no conditions.'

"As you know, the big sanctions relief that Biden gave Maduro as a gift, multiple times, was purchasing oil [in return for free elections that never happened]. That [oil license], by the way, technically it has to be redone, so what I hope you're going to see because I am going to insist that you see is that those oil sales stop immediately, that those oil leases are reversed, which would then prove that what happened is that Maduro just said 'let me not mess with President Trump,' as the Colombian President learned, 'let me do what he is asking for and we'll see what happens in the future.' But that there are no [U.S.] concessions, there can be no concessions, and we'll see soon enough if, in fact, that's the case. If that isn't the case, I will have those conversations with the [Trump] Administration. But, I'm confident that there have been no [U.S.] concessions."

On Guantanamo Bay:

"The president [Trump] has said multiple times that's [Guantanmo Bay] for the worst of the worst. If there are folks that can't be sent anywhere else because China won't take them or Iran won't, you have to go for the worst of the worst, and this is a president who wants to have options available to him, which is why he is taken seriously. The president needs to have options on the table so that the world understands that when he says something, he is serious, and the world knows this about him."

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