The United States government is preparing to designate six Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, according to U.S. officials who spoke with The New York Times. These groups would join organizations like ISIS, Hezbollah, and Hamas on the U.S. terrorist list.
The Mexican organizations to be designated include:
– Sinaloa Cartel
– Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)
– Northeast Cartel
– Gulf Cartel
– The Michoacán Family
– United Cartels
Additionally, two other Latin American groups – Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and MS-13 – are also expected to receive terrorist designations.
The move follows President Donald Trump’s executive order at the start of his second term, directing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to recommend criminal organizations for terrorist designation. Trump cited the devastating impact of drug-related deaths in the United States, claiming these organizations are responsible for “250,000 to 300,000 American deaths per year.”
The designation would allow the U.S. government to impose broad economic sanctions on these groups and their associates. Former DEA Administrator Anne Milgram has previously stated that the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG pose “the greatest criminal threat the United States has ever faced,” particularly due to their role in fentanyl trafficking.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has expressed opposition to the designations, stating that “unilateral decisions don’t help” and emphasizing that Mexico would never accept interventionist actions. Despite ongoing negotiations between Mexican officials and the Trump administration to prevent the terrorist designations, the measure appears likely to proceed.
The move comes shortly after Canada’s announcement to designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, marking a significant shift in North American policy toward Mexican drug trafficking organizations.