The U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday that it has formally designated several drug cartels and gangs as official Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) which expands the administration’s ability to combat the organizations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the designation — which was made in consultation with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — came after a sufficient factual basis was established under the Immigration and Nationality Act to classify the entities as FTOs.
The FTO and SDGT designations were applied to the following criminal enterprises: Tren de Aragua, Mara Salvatrucha, Cartel de Sinaloa, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, Carteles Unidos, Cartel del Noreste, Cartel del Golfo, and La Nueva Familia Michoacana.
FTOs are designated by the State Department under the…
