Justice Dept. Aims to Use Terrorism Laws to Target Mexican Officials

Key Points:

• The Trump administration has directed federal prosecutors to use terrorism laws to target Mexican officials involved in drug trafficking, marking a significant escalation in its anti-narcotics efforts.
• This new directive was announced by Associate Deputy Attorney General Aakash Singh during an internal call with U.S. attorneys, signaling a more aggressive approach likely to heighten tensions with Mexico.
• The policy builds on President Trump's earlier designation of Latin American drug cartels as terrorist organizations and military actions that have resulted in nearly 200 deaths of alleged smugglers.
• The directive follows recent high-profile indictments of Mexican officials, including the governor of Sinaloa state, and coincides with revelations about the deaths of two CIA officers in Mexico, underscoring the administration’s intensified crackdown on cartels.
• Singh emphasized increasing indictments of corrupt Mexican officials aiding drug traffickers, describing them as enabling "terrorists and monsters" trafficking misery and poison.