The state of California awarded Daily Caller reporter Jorge Ventura and Chief of Graphics and Senior Producer Sagnik Basu with certificates of recognition for the documentary “Cartelville, USA.”
“Cartelville, USA” documented Ventura, Basu and the Daily Caller video team’s investigation of the growing threat of Mexican drug cartels and the surge of gang activity in Southern California. The California state Senate awarded them with the certificate on behalf of the 28th district for “highlighting important issues affecting our communities.”
“We greatly commend you on highlighting important issues affecting our communities in California, as well as our great country. Your commitment and contributions are truly restoring integrity back into journalism and now more than ever is greatly appreciated,” the award says.
Footage shows Republican California state Sen. Melissa Melendez handing Ventura and Basu the award “to proudly display.”
“I hope everybody has an opportunity to see the documentary because if you’re not aware of the growing problem, believe me, your eyes are gonna fall out of your head when you watch it,” Melendez said. “So thank you for what you’re doing, and on behalf of the state of California and the 28th district I have certificates for you that I hope that you two will proudly display on your ‘I love me wall.'”
We are honored to receive a certificate of recognition from the state of California for our documentary ‘Cartelville,USA’ One of my biggest accomplishments in my journalism career, we are grateful Senator @senatormelendez recognized our hard work. @_sagnikbasu pic.twitter.com/JuCBukSHmy
— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) December 18, 2021
“I hope I see more work like this coming from you, whatever the issue is, clearly you know what you’re doing and you know how to tell the story. So thank you for doing that and we hope to see more from you,” she told Ventura and Basu.
Ventura called the award “one of my biggest accomplishments” and said that he and Basu are “honored” to receive recognition via Twitter. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Chip Roy To Introduce Legislation Making Cartels Terrorist Organizations)
“We are honored to receive a certificate of recognition from the state of California for our documentary ‘Cartelville, USA.’ One of my biggest accomplishments in my journalism career, we are grateful Senator @senatormelendez recognized our hard work,” Ventura said.
Daily Caller co-founder and publisher Neil Patel also commented on Ventura and Basu’s achievement. “We are so proud of Jorge Ventura, Sagnik Basu and the entire Daily Caller video team for being honored by the state of California for our documentary ‘Cartelville, USA,'” Patel said. “Our guys are out on the front lines creating amazing original content. It’s great to be recognized for it.”
In an earlier released behind-the-scenes look at the documentary, Ventura described the harm of the illegal marijuana greenhouses constructed by cartels in North Los Angeles County. He said the greenhouses “steal water and hurt the environment” and that residents have been threatened by members of the cartels, leading many to flee the communities.