Mexican drug cartels have displaced the Mafia as the top organized-crime threat to the United States, according to Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.).

Fox News reported April 20 that Lieberman called the battle against the cartels “literally a war” and announced plans to call for an additional $380 million in U.S. funding to prevent drug and gun smuggling at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Lieberman said that the cartels are operating on both sides of the border, and have a presence in 230 or more U.S. cities and communities.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called for the federal government to heed state governors’ requests for National Guard troops to help patrol border regions.