US designates Cartel de Juárez and Los Viagras as terrorist organizations

The United States designated the Cartel de Juárez and Los Viagras as foreign terrorist organizations on July 15, 2026, adding two more Mexican cartels to its list. This brings the total to eight Mexican criminal groups designated since February 2025, when the administration of President Donald Trump designated six others: Sinaloa, Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), Noreste, Gulf, Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cárteles Unidos Source: Infobae.

The designations, announced by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), subject both groups to financial sanctions, asset freezes, and restrictions on commercial operations Source: Excelsior. Any person or entity that collaborates with them could face legal consequences under U.S. antiterrorism laws Source: Excelsior. The Cartel de Juárez, one of Mexico’s oldest cartels, controls key smuggling routes in Chihuahua and is blamed for the 2019 massacre of nine U.S.-born Mormon family members in Sonora Source: La Voz. Los Viagras, based in Michoacán, are known for extorting avocado and citrus producers and have been linked to attacks on Mexican security forces Source: Heraldo de México.

Reaction and context The U.S. embassy in Mexico, through Ambassador Ronald Johnson, emphasized cooperation: "Junto con México, estamos desarticulando el tráfico de drogas, armas y otras actividades ilícitas que amenazan a nuestras dos naciones" Source: La Jornada. However, the Mexican government has repeatedly rejected unilateral actions and insists on bilateral cooperation respecting national sovereignty Source: Euronews. The broader U.S. strategy targets the fentanyl trade and has strained bilateral relations, with Trump reviving the Monroe Doctrine to justify pressure on Latin America .