Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, said that the State Department’s designation of eight cartels and gangs as terrorist entities aims to assist law enforcement and enhance security in the U.S. and the Western Hemisphere. This announcement was made during a press briefing.
“The State Department announces the designation of Tren de Aragua, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Cártel de Sinaloa, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel), and Cárteles Unidos as FTOs and SDGTs,” said Marco Antonio Rubio, according to U.S. Department of State. “The intent of designating these cartels and transnational organizations as terrorists is to protect our nation, the American people, and our hemisphere. These designations provide law enforcement additional tools to stop these groups. Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities.”
In 2025, the United States intensified its efforts against transnational criminal organizations by officially labeling several cartels as terrorist entities. According to the State Department, these designations were paired with sanctions and law-enforcement cooperation. Eight groups, including the Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, were classified as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT). This action is intended to expand financial, immigration, and criminal tools against them. The move represents a shift from solely using anti-narcotics authorities to leveraging counterterrorism powers.
President Donald Trump confirmed in early May 2025 that he had offered to deploy U.S. troops into Mexico to combat drug cartels. He described cartel members as “horrible people” responsible for numerous deaths and said, “If Mexico wanted help with the cartels, we would be honored to go in and do it.” Trump emphasized the urgency of the threat by saying, “The cartels are trying to destroy our country. They’re evil.” According to Reuters, Trump framed this proposal as a protective measure for Americans against escalating cartel-driven violence and the fentanyl epidemic.
Since 1997, when the statutory process for Foreign Terrorist Organization designations began, U.S. listings have historically focused on ideologically motivated groups. Drug cartels were primarily targeted through sanctions under the Kingpin Act rather than terrorism authorities. However, this pattern shifted in 2025 when eight cartels and transnational gangs received FTO or SDGT labels. This change broadens material-support prohibitions, immigration ineligibilities, and financial blocking measures applicable to cartel networks and facilitators.
Rubio is a Cuban American politician from Miami who served as U.S. Senator from Florida from 2011 until his appointment as the 72nd U.S. Secretary of State in January 2025. As secretary, he oversees U.S. foreign policy with an emphasis on countering threats from authoritarian regimes and transnational criminal organizations.
