U.S. to Designate Six Mexican Cartels as Terrorist Organizations

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Image Credentials: Generated with AI DeepAI · Feb 14, 2025 at 11:25 AM

By Staff Writer with Agencies

Washington, D.C. – The United States government is set to officially designate six Mexican criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), as foreign terrorist organizations, according to senior U.S. officials who spoke to The New York Times.

The move, expected to be announced by the White House within the week, will place these cartels alongside groups like ISIS and Hezbollah on the U.S. list of designated terrorist organizations. This designation would expand the government’s ability to impose strict economic sanctions, freeze assets, and take more aggressive legal and military actions against cartel operations.

Cartels Facing Terrorist Designation

The six Mexican cartels identified for designation include:

• Sinaloa Cartel
• Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)
• Northeast Cartel
• Gulf Cartel
• La Familia Michoacana (The Michoacán Family)
• Cárteles Unidos (United Cartels)

Two additional criminal organizations, Tren de Aragua from Venezuela and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), are also expected to be included in the list.

A New U.S. Strategy Against Organized Crime

President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order directing this designation, emphasized that cartel violence has fueled the ongoing drug crisis in the U.S., particularly with fentanyl trafficking.

“People have wanted to do this for years,” Trump said. “Mexico probably doesn’t want that, but we have to do it… They’re killing our people.”

Under the designation, the U.S. government will have expanded authority to target cartel finances, restrict the movement of cartel members, and potentially justify military operations to combat their influence. Trump did not rule out the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Mexico, stating that ordering special forces to “take out” cartel leaders “could happen.”

Response from Mexico and Canada

The Mexican government, under President Claudia Sheinbaum, has strongly opposed the designation, arguing that it could lead to U.S. military intervention in Mexican territory. Sheinbaum reiterated that while Mexico is committed to fighting organized crime, it will not accept unilateral foreign actions.

“We will collaborate with and coordinate with the United States, but we will never subordinate ourselves,” she said.

Canada has also announced its intention to designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, a move that aligns with Washington’s decision.

Impact and Next Steps

The U.S. State Department has already notified several congressional committees of the upcoming announcement. If finalized, the designation will mark a historic shift in U.S. policy toward drug cartels, potentially leading to more aggressive enforcement measures and international legal battles.

With cartel-related violence at an all-time high and fentanyl overdoses causing thousands of deaths in the U.S. annually, the new classification signals Washington’s intent to escalate the fight against transnational organized crime.

With reports from The New York Times