The Cartel (Terrorist) Problem Has Been a War No One Wanted to Talk About—Until Now

This week, the Trump administration designated eight drug cartels—including MS-13 and the Sinaloa Cartel—as global terrorist organizations. It was a long-overdue acknowledgment of reality: these groups are not just criminal enterprises but well-armed insurgencies and terrorists that operate with impunity, destabilizing governments, undermining economies, and fueling violence throughout the hemisphere. This week’s announcement builds on President Trump’s January 20, 2025, executive order, signaling what is likely just the beginning of a more aggressive and comprehensive approach to tackling violence and terrorism in the region.

For years, politicians and policymakers have skirted this issue, treating cartel violence as an unfortunate side effect of the drug trade rather than the regional security threat it is. Now, Washington appears to have turned a page on this odd straddling and drawn a clear line. The question is whether Mexico will stand on the right side of it. President Claudia Sheinbaum’s reaction was swift and predictable.

U.S. and Mexican Marines train together during RIMPAC, by CPT Maida Zheng, identified by DVIDS, U.S. Department of Defense.

Sheinbaum criticized the U.S. for acting unilaterally, warned against violating Mexico’s sovereignty, and proposed a constitutional amendment explicitly rejecting foreign intervention. Her response was a continuation of the well-worn script that Mexican leaders have followed for decades—pushing back against American involvement while failing to control the cartels themselves.

Some in the expert class will argue that Sheinbaum’s rhetoric is just political necessity—that she must publicly reject U.S. involvement to maintain her grip on power. But that is a weak and shortsighted way for Mexico to approach this crisis. The reality is that cartels are eroding the country from within, and no amount of nationalist posturing will change that. A serious leader would recognize that true sovereignty comes not from resisting cooperation but from restoring law and order so that Mexico—not the cartels—controls its Mexico’s destiny.