US Declares Mexican Cartels Terrorist
United States Designates Two More Mexican Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations
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The US government has designated two more Mexican criminal groups — the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras — as foreign terrorist organizations, according to San Diego Union-Tribune. The move was published in the Federal Register, making it official US policy.
The two groups now join six other Mexican organizations already on the list, including the powerful Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, NY Daily News reported.
What the Terrorist Label Actually Means
Labeling a group a foreign terrorist organization gives the US government new legal tools. It can block the group's funds, ban its members from entering the country, and prosecute anyone who provides material support to them. The designation makes it easier to take action at and beyond the border.
The Juárez Cartel operates primarily in and around Ciudad Juárez, just across the border from El Paso, Texas. Los Viagras is a smaller but violent group based in the western Mexican state of Michoacán, according to Twin Cities.
Eight Mexican Cartels Now Branded as Terror Groups
Before this latest move, the US had already designated six Mexican criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations. That list includes the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel — two of the most powerful drug trafficking groups in the world, Trentonian reported.
Adding the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras brings the total to eight designated Mexican groups. The designations are part of a broader effort by the US to use national security law to fight drug trafficking and border crime, according to Courant.
More Pressure on Mexico's Sheinbaum Government
The new designations add to a growing list of US pressure on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration. The US recently indicted 10 current and former officials from the state of Sinaloa for alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, EP Trail reported.
There are also ongoing controversies about US operations inside Mexico. The back-to-back moves signal that Washington is pushing hard on the cartel issue — and is not waiting for Mexico City to act first, according to Journal Advocate.
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