ZDA označijo dva nova mehiška kartela za tuje teroristične organizacije.

The U.S. government has officially designated two Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, marking a significant escalation in efforts to combat organized crime along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Juárez Cartel, based near the Texas border in Ciudad Juárez, and Los Viagras, operating in the western state of Michoacán, were named in a notice published in the Federal Register on Thursday. This move brings the total number of Mexican criminal groups classified as terrorist entities by the U.S. to eight, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The designation follows a broader strategy initiated under President Donald Trump in February 2025, during which the administration expanded the terrorist label to include criminal organizations in Latin America, such as those in Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, and El Salvador. The decision was announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stated that both newly designated groups either have carried out terrorist acts or pose a serious threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, or economic interests. The Juárez Cartel, one of Mexico’s oldest drug trafficking organizations, has long controlled a critical corridor for drug smuggling into the United States. Founded by Amado Carrillo Fuentes, known as “El Señor de los Cielos,” the cartel transformed drug trafficking into a multi-million-dollar enterprise through innovative methods, including air transport of narcotics in the 1990s. Despite numerous arrests, the organization continues to maintain a vast network for smuggling illicit substances into the U.S., according to Mexican analyst David Saucedo. Los Viagras, a relatively newer cartel in Michoacán, emerged from the aftermath of a 2013–2014 farmer-led uprising that displaced several established cartels. The group is now led by Nicolás Sierra Santana, who faces charges in the District of Columbia related to drug trafficking conspiracy. A $5 million reward has been offered for information leading to his arrest. Los Viagras has shifted its focus toward consolidating regional control through extortion and producing synthetic drugs, which are sold to other cartels for distribution within the U.S. This designation comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Mexico, particularly following the indictment of ten current and former officials from the state of Sinaloa for alleged connections to the Sinaloa Cartel. Additionally, the U.S. has criticized recent operations conducted within Mexico, raising concerns over sovereignty and law enforcement cooperation. The move is also seen as part of a larger effort to strengthen border security, especially given that two other Mexican cartels, the Gulf Cartel and the Northeast Cartel, were previously labeled as terrorist organizations in February 2025. In parallel developments, the U.S. military has intensified its actions against Iran, launching additional airstrikes in response to the killing of two American service members in Jordan. These strikes follow a pattern of retaliatory measures aimed at deterring future attacks on U.S. personnel. While these events are separate, they reflect a broader trend of increased militarization and strategic posturing by the U.S. in regions affected by conflict and instability.