Ramiro Céspedes, a U.S. Army veteran, broke his silence on Thursday, sounding the alarm after his father, Antonio Céspedes Saldierna, was killed by a cartel-linked improvised explosive device near the Texas-Mexico border, per a Fox News report. Speaking on “Fox & Friends,” Céspedes mourned the loss of the 74-year-old rancher, slain on his Tamaulipas property south of Brownsville, per the February 28 story. For conservatives, this tragedy is a rallying cry—Trump’s border clampdown must crush cartel terror spilling onto American soil.

Céspedes shared his anguish, likening the attack to his combat scars.

“These are the same tactics that the terrorist groups were using in Iraq,” he said. “I believe the cartels have more sophisticated equipment than the Mexican army has.”

Antonio died January 31 when his truck triggered the IED, also killing Horacio Lopez Peña and injuring Peña’s wife, Ninfa Griselda Ortega, per Fox. Céspedes, a Purple Heart recipient wounded by an IED in Iraq, called it a “one-sided war,” urging Trump to bolster Mexico’s fight, per the report.

This heartbreak follows Trump’s Thursday border victories, slashing illegal crossings over 90%, per Border Patrol data, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Gitmo deportations, per her “Hannity” remarks.

“We have hundreds of thousands of criminals that were let illegally into this country,” Noem said. “That means they have criminal records. They’ve perpetuated crimes in this country.”

Posts on X flared—one user wrote, “Cartel IED kills Texas rancher—Trump’s gotta end this!” Another added, “Biden’s border mess brings bombs—unreal!”

Republicans see this as a wake-up call. Biden’s reign let 8.5 million illegals flood in, per CBP, while deficits hit $35 trillion, per Treasury data, and inflation—up 20% since 2021, per BLS—slammed families. Trump’s January 20 “emergency price relief” memo, DOGE’s $55 billion cuts, and last week’s migrant arrest surge, per Breitbart, signal the fix—secure borders, cut waste, and prioritize Americans.

Democrats stayed mum, with no rebuttal from Senator Dick Durbin’s office, per Fox, while deflecting to “travel warnings,” per a Thursday AP note. Too bad—conservatives see this as cartel war spilling over, not a footnote. Legal battles loom, with over 70 suits targeting Trump’s moves—like a Thursday block on Education records—but Republicans stand firm. With Congress pushing reconciliation and FBI Director Kash Patel releasing Epstein files, the GOP’s ready to back Trump’s vision, ensuring America’s safety prevails, as voters demanded in 2024.

Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller dubbed it “tragic and alarming,” per Fox, warning ranchers after Tamaulipas flagged IEDs on rural roads, per a government post. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ February DOGE task force and USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins’ SNAP crackdown show state-federal alignment. With DHS troops at the line and Noem’s raids, conservatives rally behind Céspedes’ plea, ensuring America’s borders lock tight.

This border fight is a fierce win for America, halting cartel terror with Trump’s unyielding resolve.