In a major policy shift, the Trump administration has officially designated eight Latin American cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) in an effort to combat drug trafficking and migrant smuggling. Among the groups targeted are Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and El Salvador’s notorious MS-13, as well as six powerful Mexican cartels, including Sinaloa, Jalisco New Generation, Gulf, Northeast, La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and United.
The move follows President Donald Trump’s executive order on his first day back in office, which authorized applying the FTO label to international cartels. The designation, announced Wednesday, will be published in the Federal Register on Thursday.
A Historic Shift in Counter-Narcotics Policy
Typically, the State Department’s FTO list is reserved for groups like al-Qaeda or ISIS, which are driven by ideological or religious extremism. Designating drug cartels—whose primary focus is financial gain—marks a significant policy shift in how the U.S. approaches transnational crime.
The FTO designation empowers federal authorities to take tougher action against cartel members, including freezing their assets, restricting their movements, and imposing harsher penalties for aiding or abetting them. It also allows military involvement in counter-cartel operations.
Military Action on the Table
Trump’s national emergency declaration last month authorized the U.S. military to assist in securing the southern border. Now, military personnel could be used to target cartel operations across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, warned that military action could escalate violence, as cartels will fight to protect their operations.
“Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely, because the cartels are making record amounts of money,” Homan told ABC News. “We’re taking money out of their pocket.”
Cartels Escalate Attacks
Reports indicate that Mexican drug cartels have been launching suicide drones equipped with explosives toward U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and military personnel. The CIA has been conducting covert drone surveillance over Mexico, gathering intelligence on these criminal organizations.
Billionaire Elon Musk has even suggested that U.S. drone strikes could be used against the newly designated terrorist groups, further fueling speculation about potential military intervention.
Mexico Pushes Back
The decision has sparked concern in Mexico, where President Claudia Sheinbaum has expressed opposition to any U.S. military action on Mexican soil.
“If they make this decree to investigate even more in the United States the money laundering and the criminal groups that operate in the United States, that carry out those drug sales, it’s very good,” Sheinbaum said. “What we do not accept is the violation of our sovereignty.”
A More Aggressive Approach than 2019
Trump previously considered designating cartels as FTOs in 2019, following the brutal murder of nine American Mormons in Mexico, including six children. However, the plan was shelved at the time due to diplomatic concerns with Mexico.
Now, in his second term, Trump is moving swiftly to crack down on cartel violence and border-related crime, signaling a tougher stance than before.
