The US declares 8 drug cartels, criminal bands as “global terrorist” groups

Washington, United States:

The United States appoints Aragua train in Venezuela, Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico and six other Latin -American root trafficking groups as “global terrorist” organizations, according to a federal opinion on Wednesday. The movement of President Donald Trump’s administration is the latest step in intensifying his repression on the members of the United States and his efforts to eliminate undocumented or criminals in the country.

Trump signed an executive order on January 20, his first day back to the White House, creating a process for such a designation, saying that the cartels “are a national security threat beyond that presented by the traditional organized crime.”

Terrorist designation extends the ability of the US government to combat such groups.

Mexico is afraid that the United States will use the appointment as an excuse to intervene on its territory against cartels, as some Republican MPs requested.

The targeted groups include the International Crime band MS-13, with roots in El Salvador, as well as Mexican unions Gulf Cartel, Jalisco New Generation, Northeast Cartel, New Michoacan Family and United Cartel.

A public notification of the Secretary of State Marco Rubio states that those designated organizations are “foreign persons who have committed or tried to commit … acts of terrorism who threaten the security of resortisants in the United States or national security, foreign policy or economy. of the United States. “

On his first day back in office last month, Trump declared a national emergency on the US south border and promised to deport “millions and millions”.

He claimed that groups bring large amounts of dangerous illicit drugs in the United States and are involved in extortion, smuggling migrants and other violent offenses.

Trump has made the border security a central piece of his presidential campaign of 2024. He regularly used an explosive language in the branding of Venezuelian migrants as violent criminals and accused countries to empty their prisons and send killers to the United States.

(Except for the title, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and is published from a union feed.)