Trump Says He Will Designate Mexican Cartels as Terror Organizations

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he is prepared to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

Trump told former FOX News Host Bill O’Reilly his plan that would allow United States troops to cross into Mexico and take on the cartels directly.

President Trump told O’Reilly,

“They will be designated … I have been working on that for the last 90 days. You know, designation is not that easy, you have to go through a process, and we are well into that process.”

“At some point something has to be done. We’re losing a hundred thousand people a year to what’s happening and what’s coming through from Mexico. And [the Cartels] have unlimited money because it’s drug money and human trafficking money.”

President @realDonaldTrump tells me he is 90 days into the process of designating Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations – which would give US forces more leverage in taking them out. pic.twitter.com/ewSJMkt6rr

— Bill O'Reilly (@BillOReilly) November 27, 2019

President Trump’s comments come just one day after Mexico’s foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard said the U.S. would not go forward with the plan, saying Mexico could send their own troops into our country in return. He claimed, “I don’t think the United States will pursue this path because we’re working together, and I don’t think they would want to open up the possibility of Mexico invoking the same legal principles.”

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The announcement by President Trump follow the recent mass murder of nine American Mormon colonists, all women and children, in Mexico by a cartel.

President Donald Trump actually offered to send U.S. troops into Mexico in response to the massacre. Mexican President Obrador shot down the offer. Instead, he said the Mexican authorities were willing to work alongside the FBI on the issue.

President Obrador ran on a tough on crime issue, essentially declaring war on the cartels as part of his campaign. Despite this, he has been accused of taking an “open hand” position on drug cartels after the Mexican military released one of the sons of drug lord El Chapo back to the cartels following his capture.