While the focus on America's borders continues to escalate, one Senator believes he knows the cause behind the mass influx of Central American children into the nation: drug cartels.

Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas told a group of oil executives on Monday that Mexico’s notorious drug cartels are recruiting Central American children to enter the U.S. to become part of their lucrative drug enterprise.

Roberts made the claim at the annual convention of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association in response to an audience member's suggestion that Republicans should take a “softer line” on immigration if they want to advance their conservative agenda.

Following his response, Roberts was careful to specify that although he is indeed referring to the border crisis, he wasn't referring to the 60,000 Central American immigrants who have crossed the border illegally in the last few months.

Rather, he is pinpointing the "people" from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras who are between the ages of 16 to 22 who are crossing to become drug mules.

“They become the so-called mules to expand their drug operations in the United States,” Roberts said.

According to Roberts, cartels spread false information about U.S. immigration policies, leaving youth immigrants to believe that they are eligible to say in the United States once they cross the border.

Pressed about his proof, Roberts stated that it was “pretty common knowledge,” and said that leaders in Central American countries have told the United States that the misinformation was a drug cartel effort.

"They put out a lot of information that was just simply not correct — it was an enticement for people to leave countries that are war-torn and where people do not believe there is an opportunity to succeed," he said.

Many of the Central American immigrants currently arriving in the country are between the ages of 16 and 22; a number Roberts estimates could grow to 100,000 if the U.S. doesn't respond swiftly enough.

"It's a humanitarian problem, it's a border problem and it's a criminal problem with regards to drug cartels — all wrapped up into one," he said. "A very difficult situation."