By Ted Hesson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Wednesday designated Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa cartel and other drug cartels as global terrorist organizations, according to a Federal Register notice.
The U.S. State Department notice said the groups pose a risk to U.S. national security, foreign policy and economic interests.
President Donald Trump, a Republican, issued an executive order after taking office on January 20 that called on officials to evaluate whether any criminal cartels or transnational gangs should be designated at terror groups. During Trump’s 2017-2021 presidency, he considered such designations but ultimately shelved the plans.
After taking office, Trump also ordered top officials to take steps to prepare to invoke a 1798 wartime law that could allow him to deport alleged gang members without court hearings.
(Reporting by Ted Hesson, Susan Heavey, Katharine Jackson; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Chizu Nomiyama)
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