Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists

The order declares a national emergency under IEEPA, identifying international cartels and transnational criminal organizations — including Tren de Aragua and MS-13 — as posing an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, and the economy. It directs the Secretary of State, consulting with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, to make designation recommendations within 14 days. Separately, it directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to make operational preparations for a possible invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and to prepare facilities to expedite removal of persons designated under the order.

The order does not itself formally designate any specific organization as a Foreign Terrorist Organization or Specially Designated Global Terrorist — those designations follow from the recommendation process it sets in motion. The stated policy goal is the total elimination of these organizations' presence in and threat to the United States.

International drug cartels operating in Mexico and the broader Western Hemisphere, and transnational criminal organizations operating inside the U.S. such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, along with any individuals, businesses, or financial institutions that provide material support or financial services to organizations ultimately designated under the order.

Formal FTO designation triggers criminal penalties for anyone providing material support and bars members from the United States. SDGT designation enables asset freezes and sanctions. U.S. financial institutions and individuals with any ties to designated groups face immediate legal exposure once designations are finalized.

The Secretary of State has 14 days to produce designation recommendations after consulting four other senior officials; the President then decides whether to formally designate. Simultaneously, the AG and DHS prepare facilities and operational plans for potential Alien Enemies Act invocations. Enforcement teeth flow from the downstream designations themselves — FTO status triggers criminal material-support liability under federal law, while SDGT status activates IEEPA-based asset-blocking authority under Executive Order 13224. The national emergency declaration is the legal predicate for the IEEPA-based SDGT track.