At the United Nations General Assembly this week, several Latin American and Caribbean countries are expected to join the United States in designating multiple criminal organizations as terrorist groups, signaling a coordinated effort aimed at intensifying the region’s campaign against drug cartels. According to U.S. and Latin American officials, a joint statement will be issued by 14 nations identifying 25 criminal groups as terrorist organizations, a designation Washington has already applied unilaterally.
The countries participating in this collective move include Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. Peru and Paraguay have confirmed their participation. These nations are part of the Shield of the Americas alliance, a coalition of countries with predominantly conservative governments formed under the Trump administration.
The designation will be made under the Rio Treaty, a defense pact established in 1947 that considers an attack on one member state as an attack on all. This marks the first time Latin American governments have jointly endorsed such a terrorism classification alongside the United States. The coordinated action aims to strengthen the legal and operational framework for addressing drug trafficking organizations through enhanced military and law enforcement measures.
Since taking office, former President Donald Trump has labeled drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, describing them as “the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere.” The designation enables the use of certain counterterrorism tools, such as freezing U.S.-based assets connected to the groups. However, experts caution that the label does not inherently authorize military intervention. Nonetheless, the Trump administration has cited these designations in justifying military strikes against suspected drug shipments, operations that have led to significant casualties and raised questions under international law.
Critics, including former U.S. officials, have questioned the efficacy and appropriateness of treating these criminal entities as terrorist organizations. Todd Robinson, a former assistant secretary of state for international narcotics and law enforcement under the Biden administration, argued that a militarized approach has not stemmed drug flows and risks extrajudicial violence. He emphasized the importance of strengthening civilian law enforcement systems focused on financial disruption, evidence collection, prosecution, and the rule of law.
Human rights advocates have also expressed concerns that the expanded terrorism designations could lead to abuses. Gimena Sánchez, director for the Andes region at the Washington Office on Latin America, warned that such labeling might infringe on national sovereignty, potentially undermine legal norms governing the use of force, and expand government powers in ways that could threaten civilians and be used to suppress political opposition. She cautioned that military operations targeting designated groups might increase the risk to noncombatants in affected communities.
The group designations include major Mexican drug cartels such as the Sinaloa cartel, as well as transnational gangs originating in Venezuela and Ecuador that U.S. officials say supply cocaine to Mexican traffickers. President Trump has linked cartel activities not only to drug smuggling but also to increased migration and crime within the United States.
The announcement comes amid a broader effort by the Trump administration to reassert focus on the Western Hemisphere after extended involvement in conflicts elsewhere. By securing regional buy-in for its terrorism designations, the administration aims to legitimize a strategy centered on heightened military and security cooperation against organized crime networks in Latin America.