The U.S. has designated several drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

The list includes Mexican drug cartels, among which is the largest drug cartel in the country, "Sinaloa," as well as the "Jalisco New Generation Cartel," "La Familia Michoacana," "Carteles Unidos" ("United Cartels"), "Cartel del Noreste," and the criminal organization "Cartel del Golfo" (or "Gulf Cartel"). International organized crime groups "Trem de Aragua" and "Mara Salvatrucha" (or MS-13) have also been designated as terrorist organizations.

On January 20, 2025, during his inaugural address, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to declare drug cartels as terrorist organizations. On the same day, he signed an executive order urging officials to assess whether any criminal cartels or transnational gangs should be classified as terrorist organizations.

As noted by Reuters, during his first presidential term, Trump considered the possibility of including cartels on the list of terrorist organizations but ultimately postponed these plans. At that time, some senior U.S. officials privately expressed concerns that this measure could damage relations with Mexico and hinder the fight against drug trafficking.