Significant Expansion of the FTO List
President Trump has made a notable change to the State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list by adding 25 groups in under a year, surpassing the total added by any previous administration over four years. This expansion marks a pivotal shift in how the U.S. categorizes terrorism, now including drug cartels and transnational gangs such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua alongside traditional ideologically driven organizations.
The president’s strategy emphasizes outcomes rather than adhering to conventional definitions of terrorism. He argues that the annual death toll from fentanyl overdoses far exceeds fatalities linked to radical Islamic terrorism. Among the newly designated groups, 15 are active in the Western Hemisphere—almost double the number added by the last five administrations combined. Since its inception in 1997, no president had previously added more than six groups within a single year.
The rapid increase has been defended by State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, who stated they are “moving at the speed of relevance” to address changing threats. He criticized former administrations for allowing “malaise, incompetence and bureaucratic hesitation” to hinder timely designations.
However, experts caution that this broadening could weaken the list’s effectiveness and diminish its credibility as an international benchmark. Thomas Brzozowski, a former Justice Department counsel for domestic terrorism, points out that drug cartels primarily seek profit rather than instilling terror, which represents a significant deviation from traditional definitions of terrorism. He suggests that existing legislation like the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act already addresses cartel-related activities.
The effects of this expansion are becoming apparent. The terrorism watch list has seen substantial growth, with border encounters involving listed individuals increasing from dozens per month to nearly 1,000 in October and November. Experts attribute this rise not to heightened terrorist infiltration but rather to reclassifying individuals who were previously unflagged.
Critics express concern about possible unintended repercussions. As nearly every migrant crossing from Mexico pays fees to cartel factions now classified as terrorist organizations, aggressive prosecutors might charge migrants or those assisting them with providing material support for terrorism. Financial institutions will also need to implement new measures to avoid handling assets linked to these cartels, which could leave some areas without banking services.
The administration has set precedents by sanctioning individuals associated with designated groups, including a performer accused of directing income towards Tren de Aragua and a rapper allegedly sharing streaming profits with Cartel del Noreste.
Certain designations remain contentious; notably, experts argue that Cartel de los Soles is not actually a cartel but rather a term used for corrupt Venezuelan military officials.
