What Do We Know About the Drug Cartels Added to the List of Terrorist Organizations?

Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, announced that drug cartels pose a threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, and national interests. On Wednesday, he published a notice in the official U.S. newspaper listing several cartels as terrorist organizations. The administration of Donald Trump included the 'Train of Aragua' group and the 'Sinaloa Cartel' along with several other drug cartels in the list of 'Global Terrorist Organizations.' According to Reuters, the U.S. decision to place these cartels on the global terrorist list comes as Donald Trump has increased immigration measures against individuals accused of membership in criminal groups within the U.S. A history of cartel activity Drug cartels in South America began to grow in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At that time, the U.S. was cracking down on drug trafficking from Mexico. According to Axios, during the 1980s, cartels in South America became the world's largest suppliers of drugs, primarily cocaine. Meanwhile, demand in the U.S. for cocaine and marijuana was rapidly increasing. Subsequently, cartels in Colombia took control of the expanding drug market, refined drugs there, and smuggled them into the U.S. After the cartels targeted American customers, the U.S. government began its crackdown on them. The U.S. pressured Latin American governments to stop the influx of drugs into the country, but Latin American countries insisted that demand in the U.S. was the main driver of this trade. Richard Nixon first declared a war on drugs in 1971, and years later, treaties were signed for the extradition of drug traffickers. In the 1990s, this issue continued to cause tension between the U.S. and Latin American countries. The 'Train of Aragua' group, also known as 'Aragua Train,' was formed around 2009 to 2010. This cartel is based in Venezuela and operates in the U.S., Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico, Trinidad, and Tobago. The group known as the 'Sinaloa Cartel,' 'Mexican Federation,' and 'Guadalajara Cartel' is likely the oldest drug cartel in Mexico, dating back to the 1970s. This cartel expanded in the 1990s and 2000s.