Trump Administration Labels Designation For Cartels
For years, drug cartels operated with little fear of real consequences from the United States. That changed with the Trump administration’s aggressive crackdown, which has now escalated to officially designating several Latin American criminal organizations as foreign terrorist groups.
The shift has rattled cartel members, with one alleged Sinaloa cartel associate admitting that Trump’s policies have instilled fear—especially when it comes to fentanyl trafficking.
A man identifying himself as Pablo, an alleged cartel operative, told Le Journal de Montréal that many within the organization are wary of trafficking fentanyl due to the severe retaliatory actions the Trump administration has taken. “The cartel is fearful from all the recent responses coming from the U.S. to combat it,” Pablo admitted, adding that he personally fears even speaking about fentanyl.
According to Pablo, the cartel sources its fentanyl precursors from China, smuggles them through the Netherlands, and then manufactures the deadly drug in clandestine labs across Mexico. The scale of production is staggering—50,000 to 100,000 fentanyl pills can be manufactured every two hours. These drugs are then trafficked into the U.S. and Canada, fueling an epidemic that has claimed countless lives.
NYT: “Trump Threats and Mexico’s Crackdown Hit Mexican Cartel. Several cartel operatives said that for the first time in years, they genuinely feared arrest or death at the hands of the authorities.” pic.twitter.com/eFrOSpN6Bn
— Jerry Dunleavy IV (@JerryDunleavy) March 3, 2025
Trump’s response to the crisis has been nothing short of unprecedented. His administration recently moved to designate eight major Latin American criminal organizations as foreign terrorist groups, a move that has sent shockwaves through the criminal underworld.
Among them are Mexico’s most notorious cartels: Sinaloa, Jalisco New Generation, Gulf, Northeast, La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and United. This designation significantly expands the legal tools available to U.S. authorities, allowing for harsher penalties, expanded surveillance capabilities, and potential military action.
The administration has also deployed U.S. spy planes to monitor cartel activity along the border, reinforcing Trump’s commitment to dismantling these criminal organizations. In a stark warning, Trump declared that these cartels represent “a national-security threat beyond that posed by traditional organized crime” and vowed to “ensure the total elimination” of their operations.
Critics argue that such aggressive measures could strain U.S.-Mexico relations and disrupt legitimate trade. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has voiced concerns, warning that any unilateral action by the U.S. on Mexican soil would be unacceptable. However, she acknowledged that deeper investigations into cartel operations, particularly their money laundering networks within the U.S., would be beneficial.