The Trump administration has expanded its list of designated foreign terrorist organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean to 21 groups, marking a significant escalation in U.S. efforts to combat transnational criminal networks. As first reported by idahopress.com, an Ecuadorian criminal group was added to the roster on Wednesday, bringing the total number of designated entities under this stricter classification.
Why It Matters
This policy shift represents a fundamental change in how the United States addresses drug trafficking and organized crime. Historically, the “foreign terrorist organization” label was reserved for groups employing violence for political or ideological ends, rather than those motivated primarily by financial gain. By applying this designation to money-focused crime rings, the administration aims to increase pressure on these organizations and those who aid them.
The strategy, which rolled out in February 2025, has already resulted in dozens of attacks on alleged “narcoterrorist” boats and served as a pretext for the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. More than 200 deaths have resulted from these maritime operations. For Idahoans and Americans nationwide, this aggressive posture is part of a broader effort to stem the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs across borders.
What Happened
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru to underscore the administration’s strategy against drug trafficking in the region. On Sept. 9, 2026, Rubio held a joint news conference with Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Roberto Kury at the Carondelet palace in Quito.
The expansion of the terrorist list places intense pressure on partner nations to cooperate. Mexico, which has eight groups on the list—the most of any country—is facing significant demands from Washington to avoid unilateral U.S. actions. Guatemala and Argentina have taken similar steps against certain groups, while Ecuador has launched joint operations on its soil.
By The Numbers
- 21: The total number of Latin American and Caribbean criminal groups now designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
- 8: The number of Mexican groups on the list, the highest count for any single nation.
- 45 years: The sentence handed down to former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernández for drug trafficking, though he was later pardoned by President Trump and has returned to Honduras.
- 200+: The number of deaths resulting from U.S. attacks on alleged narcoterrorist boats since the strategy began.
Zoom Out
The crackdown targets several major multinational criminal enterprises responsible for flooding the U.S. with fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. The Sinaloa Cartel, dating back to the 1970s, controls the western portion of the U.S.-Mexico border. Its operations were weakened by the arrest of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, though high-ranking officials in Sinaloa state have recently been indicted.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, established in the early 2010s, has become increasingly violent. The Drug Enforcement Administration states that this group distributes tons of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl across all 50 U.S. states. They have attacked Mexican authorities using explosive-dropping drones and improvised explosive devices, and attempted to assassinate the then-Mexico City police chief, who now serves as Mexico’s security secretary. The cartel’s leader, Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” was killed in February.
Along the eastern end of the border, the Gulf Cartel and Northeast Cartel operate via the most direct routes from Central and South America. These groups move drugs, illegal immigrants, guns, and money. The Northeast Cartel, a remnant of the Zetas—a group originally formed by Osiel Cárdenas Guillén in the late 1990s—bases its operations in Nuevo Laredo, the busiest commercial port on the border.
Other significant groups include the Juarez Cartel, which has controlled Ciudad Juárez for decades since its founding by Amado Carrillo Fuentes, and local organized crime groups in Michoacan. The latter, including the “Nueva Familia Michoacana” and groups emerging from the 2013-2014 farmer uprisings, produce synthetic drugs and engage in extortion across economic sectors, including avocado production.
Gangs such as Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), largely based in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, also remain on the list. These groups originated as street gangs in Los Angeles created by Salvadoran immigrants before being deported to Central America.
What’s Next
The administration continues to pursue a hardline approach against transnational criminal organizations. Secretary of State Rubio has indicated that the U.S. will continue destroying drug ships despite new allied cooperation efforts, as noted in recent diplomatic discussions. Rubio: U.S. Will Continue Destroying Drug Ships Despite New Allied Cooperation
As global tensions rise elsewhere, with Iranian tankers struck in the Gulf amid threats to shipping in Bahrain and Kuwait, the focus on hemispheric security remains a priority for the Trump administration. Iranian Tankers Struck in Gulf as Tehran Threatens Shipping in Bahrain and Kuwait The expansion of terrorist designations signals that legal and military tools will be used interchangeably to dismantle these networks, regardless of their traditional classification as criminal rather than political entities.
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