Executive Order 14157
Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists
Signed on January 20, 2025
On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14157, which designates certain drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). This order invokes counterterrorism laws to expand the U.S. government’s power to combat cartel-related crime, citing national security threats posed by their operations. It also grants federal agencies broader authority to sanction, detain, and take legal action against individuals affiliated with these groups.
🔗 Read the Executive Order on the Federal Register
🔗 Read the White House Announcement
What You Should Know
This order expands counterterrorism laws in unprecedented ways.
Designating drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) allows the government to use counterterrorism tools—such as financial sanctions, asset seizures, and law enforcement actions—against cartel members and those suspected of supporting them. While cartels are violent and engage in transnational crime, treating them as terrorist organizations instead of criminal enterprises shifts the legal framework dramatically.
Under this order, individuals even loosely associated with these groups, including migrants coerced into cartel activities, low-level drug traffickers, and financial intermediaries, could face charges under anti-terrorism statutes. These laws carry severe penalties and limit due process rights, raising concerns about wrongful prosecutions and racial profiling, particularly targeting Latin American communities.
This order could justify military action in Mexico and beyond.
By labeling cartels as terrorists, the administration is laying the legal groundwork for potential U.S. military intervention in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Trump and his allies have repeatedly suggested using drone strikes or special forces to attack cartel operations, a move that would violate international law and severely damage diplomatic relations.
The Mexican government has consistently opposed such designations, warning that they could justify unilateral U.S. military action and destabilize the region. This order could escalate tensions between the U.S. and Mexico, making future cooperation on border security and anti-narcotics efforts far more difficult.
The broad language of this order could be used to justify mass deportations and border crackdowns.
The order invokes the Alien Enemies Act, a law that allows the president to detain or deport individuals from designated “enemy” groups. Given the vague language of the order, it could be used to justify the mass deportation of immigrants from countries where cartels operate, even if those individuals have no direct ties to criminal activity.
Asylum seekers fleeing cartel violence could also be denied protection under this policy. By categorizing cartels as terrorist organizations, the administration may argue that migrants from cartel-controlled regions pose a security risk, leading to increased asylum denials and expanded immigration detention policies.
The financial and legal consequences could backfire.
Freezing cartel assets and sanctioning individuals may seem like a strong move, but cartels have sophisticated financial networks that operate through underground economies and cryptocurrencies. Broadly applying counterterrorism sanctions risks punishing legitimate businesses, humanitarian organizations, and financial institutions that unknowingly engage in transactions with individuals later designated as cartel affiliates.
Overreach in enforcement could also discourage banks and businesses from operating in certain regions, further destabilizing local economies and pushing more people into cartel-controlled black markets.
Who Wins?
Trump’s nationalist base and hardline immigration supporters
This order reinforces Trump’s narrative of the U.S.-Mexico border as a war zone requiring extreme measures. By framing cartel violence as terrorism, it bolsters support for aggressive immigration policies, border militarization, and expanded law enforcement powers.
Private defense and security contractors
If this order leads to expanded military or paramilitary operations against cartels, private defense firms, surveillance companies, and border security contractors will benefit financially. Increased counterterrorism funding will likely flow into defense-related industries, even if the policies themselves prove ineffective.
Far-right media and political operatives
This order provides political ammunition for Trump’s reelection campaign and his allies, who can use it to argue for harsher border policies, mass deportations, and increased military spending under the guise of national security.
Who Loses?
Immigrants and asylum seekers
By defining cartels as terrorist organizations, the administration can use this as a pretext to deny asylum claims and accelerate deportations. This policy disproportionately harms people fleeing cartel violence, who may now be treated as security threats rather than victims.
The Mexican government and U.S.-Mexico relations
Mexico has long opposed any U.S. designation of its cartels as terrorist organizations, warning that it could lead to U.S. military action within its borders. This order strains diplomatic relations and could trigger retaliatory measures, including reduced cooperation on drug enforcement, trade disruptions, and increased border tensions.
Civil liberties and due process protections
Expanding counterterrorism laws to include drug cartels increases the risk of wrongful detentions, racial profiling, and abuse of power. Low-level offenders, coerced participants, and even individuals unknowingly connected to cartel financial networks could face extreme legal consequences with limited rights.
Border communities and legitimate businesses
Strict counterterrorism measures could disrupt trade, financial transactions, and commerce in border regions. Legitimate businesses operating in cartel-affected areas could face unintended legal consequences, damaging local economies.
Executive Order 14157 represents a major escalation in the U.S. government’s approach to cartel violence, applying counterterrorism laws in ways that could have serious consequences for civil liberties, immigration policy, and international relations. While cartel violence is a legitimate crisis, this approach risks worsening tensions with Mexico, violating human rights, and creating legal and financial instability.
Labeling cartels as terrorists opens the door for military intervention, mass deportations, and broad legal overreach under the banner of national security. This is yet another example of the Trump administration using fear-based rhetoric to justify extreme policies that disproportionately harm immigrants and marginalized communities.
Take Action
Stay informed and challenge misinformation.
The administration is framing this order as a necessary national security measure, but its real consequences extend far beyond cartel violence. Fact-check the claims being made and question the broader motives behind these policies.
Push back against efforts to militarize the war on drugs.
Decades of evidence show that military and counterterrorism approaches to drug trafficking lead to increased violence, corruption, and human rights abuses. Demand policies that focus on economic stability, harm reduction, and international cooperation instead of militarized crackdowns.
Hold lawmakers accountable for protecting civil liberties and due process.
Expanding counterterrorism laws to target criminal organizations raises serious concerns about government overreach. Support legal and advocacy groups fighting against mass detentions, racial profiling, and abuses of counterterrorism powers.
Support immigrant rights and humanitarian organizations.
This order disproportionately harms asylum seekers and immigrants. Donate to or volunteer with organizations providing legal aid, advocacy, and support for those affected by aggressive immigration policies.
Policies that claim to protect national security often serve as a cover for expanding government power in dangerous ways. Stay informed, challenge misinformation, and push back against fear-based policies that disproportionately harm marginalized communities.
