Trump Admin Has Designated Mexican Cartels as Terrorists, But Experts Say That Won't Do Much

The Trump administration has officially designated eight transnational criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations—including six major Mexican cartels—but experts in organized crime argue the designation is incorrect and will do little to combat the criminal networks.

"The intent of designating these cartels and transnational organizations as terrorists is to protect our nation, the American people, and our hemisphere," said Marco Rubio in a written statement announcing the designation. "Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities."

Among the cartels designated as terrorist organizations are the Sinaloa Cartel—formerly led by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán—Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Carteles Unidos, Cartel del Noreste, Cartel del Golfo and La Nueva Familia Michoacana.

According to experts consulted by InSight Crime, the measure is misleading and may actually complicate binational efforts to combat the criminal groups.

Stephanie Brewer, director for Mexico at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), suggested that the "starting point" to combat these criminal networks would be to address them "for what they are."

While cartels are powerful, they do not pursue "the type of political ends that a terrorist organization pursues," Brewer said, emphasizing that their use of violence is primarily driven by economic motives rather than ideological agendas.

The international policy expert noted that the designation grants U.S. authorities access to additional tools, such as stiffer penalties and electronic surveillance. However, she emphasized that similar options were already available and cautioned against potential unintended consequences.

"The concern is that this could open the door to both criminal prosecutions and immigration consequences for a wide range of everyday people, organizations, and businesses on both sides of the border that might find themselves inadvertently caught up in the framework of providing material support to terrorist groups," she told Insight Crime.

Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, expert on organized crime, told the news outlet the designation "fundamentally misunderstands" how these criminal operations work.

"These networks have people in the United States that form part of very large supply chains that make such criminal operations possible," she told InSight Crime. "The designation makes it seem like the threat is coming exclusively from the outside, but that is not compatible with reality and how these criminal activities happen."

The development comes as the Trump administration moves forward with its promised crackdown on drug trafficking. On January 20, Trump directed the federal government to revise existing national security and counter-narcotics strategies to pursue the "total elimination" of Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs).

On February 5, 2025, the U.S. Attorney General released a memorandum titled "Total Elimination of Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations," which outlines President Trump's directive to shift federal strategy from mitigation to eradication of cartels and TCOs through aggressive prosecutions, resource reallocation, and enhanced law enforcement coordination.