This Monday, January 20, donald trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. In his speech, the 78-year-old Republican announced that one of the first measures of his government will be to appoint the drug trafficking cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations” (FTOs, for its acronym in English).
From the Capitol, Donald Trump announced that he will also send US troops to his southern border to stop what he called a “invasion” to their country, produced—in part—by the migratory phenomenon.
“Under the orders I sign today, the cartels will also be designated as foreign terrorist organizations,” the US president said. This announcement was received with applause by the people present at the Capitol Rotundawho even stood up in approval of said measure.
Likewise, he invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to combat criminal groups. “I will order our government to use the full power of federal and state law enforcement to root out all criminal networks and gangs that bring devastating crime to American soil,” he warned.
“As commander in chief I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions. And that is exactly what I will do,” Trump said in his speech.
In addition to this, he will issue another executive order to reinstate the program “Stay in Mexico”through which migrants and asylum seekers will be forced to remain in Mexican territory while their procedures to enter the United States are resolved.
The plan to designate drug trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations involves diplomatic and operational measures to combat them militarily. Some senators, such as Lindsey Graham and John Kennedyhave promoted this initiative through the Law to End Notorious, Aggressive and Remorseless Criminal Organizations and Syndicates, also known as “NARCOS Law”, for its acronym in English.
At the end of May 2023, Senator John Kennedy indicated that the objective is to dismantle the Mexican cartels, mainly due to the fentanyl trafficking which has caused a public health crisis in the United States.
With this, the US government will be able to use the extraterritorial jurisdiction to pursue and prosecute foreign people involved in acts of drug trafficking or related to cartels.
Although Donald Trump has not announced which cartels will be designated as foreign terrorist organizations, the Narcos Law proposed by Kennedy includes nine, which are:
- Sinaloa Cartel
- Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)
- Gulf Cartel
- The Zetas
- Northeast Cartel
- Juarez Cartel
- Tijuana Cartel (also known as the Arellano Félix)
- Beltrán Leyva Cartel
- The Michoacan Family
