Cartels are deeply entwined with the Mexican economy. Many of the tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers consumed in the U.S. are grown in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, where many farmers pay the cartel for water for their fields. Businesses such as mining companies and avocado growers are widely believed to pay extortion money to cartels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor better or for worse, this will likely force Mexican businesses and the Mexican government to confront pervasive cartel influence,\u201d said Andrew Kaufman, an international lawyer who is counseling Mexican and multinational firms on the expected FTO designations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump\u2019s executive order took note of the cartels\u2019 vast reach. The order gives the secretary of state\u2014in consultation with other cabinet members\u201414 days to determine which Mexican cartels should be designated as FTOs. Then, key members of Congress have seven days to comment before the designation takes legal effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The order accuses the Mexican cartels of infiltrating governments and destabilizing countries across the Americas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p> President Trump wants to deploy a blunt new tool to fight Mexican cartels that flood the U.S. with drugs, by adding them to a list of terrorist groups that includes the likes of al Qaeda and Hamas https:\/\/t.co\/pZ2amUzOxO<\/a><\/p>— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 5, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>