Title: Mexican Drug Cartels Are Violent — But They’re Not Terrorists - War on the Rocks
Headings: Mexican Drug Cartels Are Violent — But They’re Not Terrorists
Mexican Drug Cartels Are Violent — But They’re Not Terrorists
Scott Englund
Are Mexican Drug Cartels Terrorists, Insurgents, or Something Else?
Is the Distinction Important?
Labeling Cartels as “Terrorist Groups” Won’t Work

Content: Later in an interview, Trump said he intended to designate drug trafficking cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The practical effects of that designation would be to freeze assets, impose travel restrictions, and the prosecution of individuals suspected of being a member of a designated organization, or for providing material support to one. Both the Barack Obama and George W. Bush administrations at one time considered the same move, but abandoned those plans when it became clear it would jeopardize security and economic cooperation with Mexico. Others in the U.S. government considered the Mexican cartels a form of insurgency. For example, in 2010 then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “we face an increasing threat from a well-organized network, drug-trafficking threat that is, in some cases, morphing into, or making common cause with, what we would consider an insurgency. Become a Member
The United States government should not designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations for two reasons. First, drug cartels are not terrorists or insurgents trying to remove or replace the government. They are criminal organizations focused solely on maximizing their income. Secondly, designating the cartels terrorists will do nothing to restrain cartel violence, and may actually make matters worse. It would also poison relations with Mexico, an imperfect — but vital — partner in combating drug trafficking.