US Expands Terrorist Designation to Two More Mexican Cartels
The United States has officially classified two additional Mexican criminal organizations—the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras—as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). The decision broadens Washington’s ongoing campaign against transnational drug trafficking networks and strengthens its legal authority to target individuals and entities linked to these groups.
The designation follows publication in the Federal Register and increases the total number of Mexican organizations carrying the U.S. terrorist label to eight. Officials said the move is intended to enhance national security efforts and disrupt criminal operations that threaten the United States.
Why the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras Were Designated
According to U.S. officials, both organizations either have engaged in terrorist-related activities or pose a significant risk to U.S. national security, foreign policy, or economic interests.
The Juárez Cartel has long been associated with drug trafficking operations along the Ciudad Juárez–El Paso border corridor, one of the most important smuggling routes between Mexico and the United States. Despite years of law enforcement pressure and leadership arrests, the organization continues to maintain an active trafficking network.
Los Viagras, based primarily in the Mexican state of Michoacán, has been linked to drug production, extortion, violent crime, and regional territorial disputes. U.S. authorities have also pursued legal action against several of its alleged leaders.
Stronger Enforcement Powers for U.S. Authorities
By adding these groups to the Foreign Terrorist Organization list, U.S. authorities gain expanded legal tools to investigate, prosecute, and impose sanctions on individuals or organizations that provide material support to the designated cartels.
The latest action builds on the U.S. government’s broader strategy launched in 2025 to intensify efforts against major Latin American criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and cross-border violence. Analysts say the expanded designation could increase diplomatic pressure on Mexico while strengthening financial and law enforcement actions against cartel operations.
