Trump Targets MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Cartels with New Terrorist Label

In a move that underscores President Donald Trump’s tough-on-crime stance, the administration has officially designated several violent gangs and drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

The decision expands federal power to crack down on these groups operating within the United States, ensuring they are met with the full force of the law, as reported by Fox News.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the designations in a notice set to be published in the Federal Register, stating there was “sufficient factual basis” under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to classify these organizations as terrorist entities.

Dennis Quaid’s #1 Warning for Americans

The groups named include the infamous Tren de Aragua, MS-13, the Sinaloa Cartel, New Generation Cartel of Jalisco, United Cartels, Northeast Cartel, Gulf Cartel, and La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), among others.

Many of these organizations operate under multiple aliases, making this designation even more critical in disrupting their activities.

The move comes after Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office, instructing the State Department and other executive agencies to prioritize the classification of criminal organizations as FTOs.

His order specifically identified Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as groups requiring immediate action. The directive also gave Rubio a strict 14-day deadline to work with the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Attorney General, and the Director of National Intelligence to develop recommendations for further designations.

100% FREE Gun Law Map CLICK HERE

By labeling these groups as foreign terrorist organizations, the administration is activating a powerful legal framework that allows the U.S. government to dismantle these criminal empires from every angle.

The Department of the Treasury now has the authority to seize their assets, while law enforcement agencies can crack down on any U.S.-based enablers funding their operations.

This designation also strengthens the government’s ability to track and eliminate the cartel-driven human trafficking, drug smuggling, and violence that has plagued communities across the country.

The executive order leaves no room for doubt about the severity of the threat, stating these criminal groups pose “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”

Invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Trump declared a national emergency to “deal with those threats.”

The order reads:

“It is the policy of the United States to ensure the total elimination of these organizations’ presence in the United States and their ability to threaten the territory, safety, and security of the United States through their extraterritorial command-and-control structures, thereby protecting the American people and the territorial integrity of the United States.”

Joseph Humire, executive director of the Center for a Secure Free Society, has long advocated for the dismantling of Tren de Aragua. In a 2024 report, he outlined strategies to take down the gang, which has gained a foothold in the U.S.

Public Notice: 12672 – Fore… by connectwithchristineee

Humire explained to Fox News Digital that designating these groups as FTOs places them “at the highest level” of U.S. national security priorities, giving authorities the ability to target their funding sources and any organizations that support them.

“Trump just put all of them on notice. This said: ‘We know you’re here; we know you’re up to no good, and we’re going to come after you.’”

The designation signals a major shift in how the U.S. government combats transnational crime. For years, cartel violence has spilled over the border, wreaking havoc on American communities while liberal politicians turned a blind eye.

With this decisive action, Trump is making it clear that under his administration, these ruthless criminals will no longer have free rein.

100% FREE Gun Law Map CLICK HERE