Trump Signs Several Executive Orders About The Border
President Donald Trump made headlines on Monday with a decisive move that could redefine the U.S. approach to battling drug cartels south of the border. In a bold stroke, Trump signed an executive order officially designating Mexico’s powerful drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), signaling that these criminal groups may now find themselves in the crosshairs of U.S. military forces—potentially even within Mexican territory.
When asked during the signing of several executive orders in the Oval Office if this designation could pave the way for U.S. Special Forces operations in Mexico, Trump responded with a characteristic grin, stating, “Could happen. Stranger things have happened.”
This declaration follows years of escalating tensions as cartels have evolved beyond criminal enterprises, becoming quasi-governmental entities with substantial control over vast swaths of Mexico.
According to the executive order, these cartels operate as insurgencies, utilizing brutal tactics like assassination, terror, and rape to assert dominance. They’ve not only infiltrated Mexican institutions but have also extended their reach across the southern U.S. border, posing what the order describes as an “unacceptable national security risk.”
The order highlights the cartels’ dominance over illegal traffic—drugs, weapons, and human smuggling—across the U.S.-Mexico border. In certain regions of Mexico, cartels reportedly wield near-total control over society, functioning as de facto rulers.
This reality, combined with their alliances with hostile foreign governments and asymmetric warfare tactics, earned them the FTO label, placing them on the same tier as groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda in the eyes of U.S. law.
But Trump didn’t stop there. He invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), declaring a national emergency to address criminal gang activity tied to groups like Tren de Aragua (TdA) and MS-13. This step underscores the administration’s broader strategy of combating transnational criminal organizations that threaten U.S. security and sovereignty.
The designation of cartels as FTOs also empowers U.S. law enforcement to pursue broader actions, freezing assets, targeting financial networks, and coordinating globally to choke off cartel operations.
Within two weeks, the Secretary of State is expected to consult with various federal agencies to determine which specific cartels or organizations meet the criteria for this designation. The executive order mandates swift and strategic action to address what it calls an existential threat to the nation’s borders and security.