Trump designates Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations

| Importance: 6/10 | Status: confirmed

Trump signed an executive order on January 20, 2025, creating a process to designate Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The order directs cabinet officials to make recommendations within 14 days and prepare to invoke the Alien Enemies Act. This enables material support prosecutions against anyone providing assistance to cartels, with vast implications for cross-border trade and migration. Mexican President Sheinbaum defended sovereignty while pledging coordination. The designation was considered but rejected during Trump’s first term and Obama administration due to bilateral relations concerns.

Key Actors

Donald Trump Secretary of State Department of Treasury Department of Justice Department of Homeland Security Director of National Intelligence Claudia Sheinbaum (Mexican President)

Tags

cartels terrorism-designation executive-order project-2025 border-security foreign-terrorist-organizations alien-enemies-act material-support mexico-relations

Sources (3)

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