U.S. To Unleash ‘Holy Hell’ on Cartels: White House Adviser Waltz
U.S. soldiers deployed to the southern border, January 24, 2025. X/ @libsoftiktok
February 21, 2025 Hour: 2:08 pm
On Thursday, the U.S. government officially designated six Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.
On Friday, White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said the Trump administration will crack down hard on transnational drug cartels.
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“We are going to unleash holy hell on the cartels. Enough is enough,” Waltz said during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C.
“We’re securing our border and the cartels are on notice,” he said, adding that the Mexican Army has joined in patrolling alongside U.S. border officials.
On Thursday, the U.S. authorities officially designated six Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations, fulfilling the executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office, January 20. The following organizations were classified as terrorist groups in the U.S. Federal Register:
1. Sinaloa Cartel
Also known as the Pacific Cartel, it was founded in 1989 and is one of Mexico’s oldest cartels. Headquartered in the northwestern state of Sinaloa, it is considered the largest cartel with the most presence in the United States.
It was led by kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, once regarded as the world’s most powerful drug trafficker, who was sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. Following Guzman’s capture in 2016, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada took control of the organization until his arrest on U.S. soil in 2024.
The cartel is currently experiencing internal conflict between rival factions—Los Chapitos and Los Mayos—since September 2024, when Zambada was handed over to U.S. authorities. This power struggle has triggered a wave of violence that has resulted in over 800 homicides in Sinaloa.
2. Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)
Initially the armed wing of the Sinaloa Cartel created to combat Los Zetas, it split from its parent organization and began operating independently in 2011 under the leadership of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.” He remains one of the most wanted criminals in both Mexico and the United States, with a reward of up to $15 million for information on his whereabouts.
The CJNG is the fastest-growing and one of the most violent cartels in Mexico. Based in Guadalajara, it operates throughout almost the entire country.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the CJNG is responsible for distributing cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl across the United States.
3. Gulf Cartel (CDG):
Active since the 1980s, it once held significant influence in northern and eastern Mexico but has weakened due to internal divisions. It is currently concentrated in the state of Tamaulipas and reportedly has a presence in Quintana Roo, in Mexico’s Caribbean region.
Based in Tamaulipas, a border state with the U.S., the Gulf Cartel dominated drug trafficking in the 1990s under the leadership of Osiel Cardenas Guillen. He served a sentence in the U.S. before being extradited to Mexico, where he remains imprisoned for various crimes.
4. Northeast Cartel
Originally part of Los Zetas, the cartel was once the armed wing of the Gulf Cartel but split from it, leading to a violent war in 2010 for control over northeastern Mexico.
The group eventually gained dominance in drug trafficking across much of the country. In 2016, Los Zetas fractured, giving rise to the Northeast Cartel.
This criminal organization is based in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, with its influence extending to the states of Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and San Luis Potosi.
5. The New Michoacan Family
A violent criminal organization based in Michoacan, on Mexico’s Pacific coast, it operates in the states of Guerrero, Morelos, and the State of Mexico. Its predecessor, La Familia Michoacana, was the group that expelled Los Zetas from Michoacan during the early 2000s.
This organization was one of the main targets of former President Felipe Calderon (2006–2012) in his declared “War on Drugs,” which fueled violence in Mexico.
The group was significantly weakened following the death of its leader, Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, known as “El Chayo,” in 2014, and the internal split that led to the emergence of Los Caballeros Templarios, who have also suffered setbacks due to the arrests and deaths of their leaders.
6. United Cartels
According to the U.S. Department of State, this cartel is a violent organization formed through an alliance of multiple cartels and other criminal groups in the state of Michoacan.
The criminal organization includes the Tepalcatepec Cartel, the Abuelo Cartel, and the Los Reyes Cartel. Investigations indicate that the Tepalcatepec Cartel is led by Juan Jose “El Abuelo” Farias, while the Los Reyes Cartel is headed by Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez, alias “Wicho de Los Reyes.”
Their influence extends to the Tierra Caliente region in southwestern Mexico. The group’s main objective is to prevent the CJNG from gaining control of the Michoacan region.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: RT – EFE
