US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to begin planning military action against certain Latin American gangs and drug cartels designated by his administration as foreign terrorist organizations. The move, which has raised legal and diplomatic questions, follows February’s US State Department designations of several major groups. While details of any potential operations remain unclear — and Mexico’s president has publicly ruled out US military action on Mexican soil — the order has put renewed focus on the cartels and gangs most likely to be targeted, the New York Times reported.
Sinaloa Cartel
Founded by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada over 30 years ago, the Sinaloa Cartel has long been one of the world’s most powerful criminal networks. Despite El Chapo’s life sentence in the US and recent infighting, it remains a major producer of fentanyl smuggled into the United States. The cartel’s global network makes uprooting it a complex challenge for law enforcement.
Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)
A fierce rival of Sinaloa, CJNG has expanded through alliances, including with factions linked to El Chapo’s sons. The group has diversified into legitimate businesses like real estate and agriculture alongside drug trafficking, and is known for extreme violence, including high-profile assassinations. Its reach extends beyond the Americas into Asia and Australia.
Cartel del Noreste
A splinter of the once-dominant Zetas, Cartel del Noreste operates across the US–Mexico border, trafficking drugs, weapons, and migrants. Though weakened by leadership losses, it remains profitable and violent, leveraging its control of smuggling routes in northeastern Mexico.
Tren de Aragua
Originating in a Venezuelan prison, Tren de Aragua has spread across Latin America, exploiting migrants through trafficking, kidnapping, and extortion. The Biden administration labelled it a transnational criminal organization in 2024. In the US, members have been charged with shootings and human trafficking, often targeting Venezuelan communities. The group reportedly collaborates with the elusive Cartel de los Soles, which Washington says has ties to Venezuela’s leadership — a claim Caracas denies.
MS-13
Formed in Los Angeles by Salvadoran immigrants in the 1980s, MS-13 shifted much of its influence to Central America. Once a symbol of gang violence in El Salvador, it was severely weakened by President Nayib Bukele’s mass arrests from 2022 onward. The group has been a consistent US target, with recent deportations of high-ranking members back to El Salvador. Allegations persist of political deals between the Salvadoran government and MS-13 leaders, which Bukele denies.
Gulf Cartel
One of Mexico’s oldest criminal organizations, the Gulf Cartel built its reputation on smuggling cocaine and marijuana into the US Internal conflicts and clashes with former allies, the Zetas, have destabilized the group but not erased its presence in northern Mexico.
La Nueva Familia Michoacana
Emerging in Michoacán state, this group is known for brutal violence and controlling territory through extortion and kidnapping. US authorities have sanctioned its leaders and charged members with trafficking fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine into the American market.
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