The Trump administration recently submitted a list of drug cartels to Congress for potential designation as foreign terrorist organizations. This move was in accordance with an executive order issued by President Trump on January 20, which required the State Department to recommend groups for such designation within 14 days.
The list includes notorious transnational gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, as well as prominent cartels operating in Mexico such as the Sinaloa, Jalisco, Zetas, and Gulf cartels, Cartel Unidos, and La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM).
Congress now has the opportunity to review and provide input on the list before the formal designations are finalized by the State Department. Some officials, both current and former, believe that designating these cartels as terrorist organizations could potentially pave the way for direct US military action against the cartels and their drug operations in Mexico and other regions of Central and South America.
A spokesperson from the State Department emphasized that the administration is adhering to established laws passed by Congress, which require notifications to be sent to key stakeholders before any foreign terrorist organization designations are officially implemented. As of now, the administration has refrained from providing further comments on this matter.
