The U.S. government has classified two additional Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. These groups are the Juárez Cartel, based near the Texas border, and Los Viagras, from Michoacán in western Mexico. This designation was published in the Federal Register, which serves as the U.S. government’s official journal.
With this addition, these cartels join six other Mexican criminal organizations previously recognized as terrorist groups by the U.S., including the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The Trump administration has also designated gangs in countries like Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, and El Salvador as foreign terrorist organizations.
Starting in February 2025, President Trump began labeling Latin American cartels as terrorists to enable U.S. authorities to take more aggressive actions. Since September of the past year, U.S. military attacks on suspected drug trafficking vessels in Latin American waters have resulted in over 200 deaths.
Details on the Juárez Cartel
Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted that both the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras have been involved in terrorist acts or pose significant threats to U.S. security, policy, or economy. The designation magnifies the pressure on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration amid the indictment of several officials from Sinaloa state linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.
The Juárez Cartel is a long-standing drug trafficking organization controlling a key entry point at Ciudad Juárez, opposite El Paso, Texas. Founded by Amado Carrillo Fuentes, known as El Señor de los Cielos, the cartel maintained a vast smuggling network. In 2019, it was associated with the brutal killings of nine American women and children in Sonora state, triggering a federal lawsuit by their relatives.
“The designation enables more decisive U.S. actions along the border,” said Mexican analyst David Saucedo. The Gulf Cartel and Northeast Cartel, both near Texas, received the terrorist label in February 2025.
Examining Los Viagras
Los Viagras operate in Michoacán, where other designated cartels like Cárteles Unidos and La Nueva Familia Michoacana are based. They formed after a farmer-led uprising ousted older cartels around 2013–2014. “El Botox,” a supposed cartel associate with Los Viagras, was recently arrested linked to a murder case.
Led by Nicolás Sierra Santana, or “El Gordo,” the cartel is known for drug trafficking conspiracy charges by the District of Columbia. The U.S. State Department offers a $5 million reward for information on his capture.
The cartel’s strategy includes controlling local territories through extortion and producing synthetic drugs sold to other trafficking groups. There was a noteworthy incident in 2024 when Los Viagras installed “narco-antennas” for Wi-Fi service, demanding payment from locals under threat of violence.