President Donald Trump’s decision to designate six major Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) is being hailed by supporters as a bold national security measure—but legal experts and diplomats warn the move could trigger unprecedented U.S. military operations inside Mexico and seriously damage bilateral relations, The Crustian Daily reports.
The executive order, signed in January 2025, places cartels such as CJNG, Sinaloa, and Gulf Cartel under the same legal framework previously used against ISIS and Al-Qaeda. This classification allows the U.S. to use military force without a formal declaration of war, seize assets worldwide, and charge anyone—including American citizens—with “material support of terrorism” for aiding or even interacting with cartel-linked individuals or infrastructure.
Under this authority, drone strikes, special operations raids, and other extrajudicial tactics used during the post-9/11 war on terror could now be deployed against cartels operating across the southern border—even without Mexico’s consent.
Mexico’s government has reacted with fury. President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the designation as a threat to national sovereignty, stating that any U.S. military incursion would be considered “an act of aggression.” Her administration has recalled diplomats and suspended joint operations with U.S. agencies along certain parts of the border.
Analysts warn the move could backfire spectacularly. “If the U.S. starts targeting cartels as if they were terror cells, it will only escalate the violence—and destabilize the very communities Trump claims he’s protecting,” said Dr. Alberto Martínez, a Latin American policy expert at Georgetown.
At home, the FTO designation also opens the door to militarized policing and aggressive prosecutions under terrorism statutes. Civil liberties groups caution that such powers could be used not only against drug traffickers, but also migrant aid workers, journalists, or others caught in the dragnet of suspicion.
There’s also concern about the legal precedent this sets. By defining non-political, profit-driven criminal groups as “terrorist organizations,” the administration may dilute the definition of terrorism itself—paving the way for further politicized designations against other groups in future administrations.
“This isn’t about security—it’s about optics and control,” said immigration attorney Laura Esparza. “They’re invoking 9/11-era powers to launch a new war, and Mexico is the battlefield.”
The Crustian Daily will continue monitoring the potential expansion of U.S. military operations under this designation and the diplomatic fallout already unfolding in the region.
