Terrorist Designations of International Cartels

Today, the State Department is fulfilling one of President Trump’s first promises since he took office.  I’m pleased to announce the Department’s designation of eight organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).

As President Trump said in Executive Order 14157, cartels and other transnational organizations “threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere.”

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.

The intent of designating these cartels and transnational organizations as terrorists is to protect our nation, the American people, and our hemisphere.  That means stopping the campaigns of violence and terror by these vicious groups both in the United States and internationally.  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.  Today’s actions taken by the State Department demonstrate the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests and dismantling these dangerous organizations.

For more information on today’s announcement, see the Department of State’s Fact Sheet.