US Designates Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras as Terrorists

The United States government designated the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) on July 15 and 16, 2026. The action, published in the Federal Register, allows U.S. authorities to block all property and financial interests within U.S. jurisdiction belonging to these groups and prohibits U.S. citizens and businesses from conducting transactions with them.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that these groups have committed terrorist acts or pose a serious risk to U.S. national security, foreign policy, and the economy. The Juárez Cartel, which includes aliases La Linea and Barrio Azteca, operates primarily in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, controlling drug trafficking routes into West Texas. Los Viagras is based in Michoacán, Mexico, and is involved in trafficking and extortion. The State Department is currently offering a $5 million reward for the capture of Los Viagras leader Nicolás Sierra Santana.

This move expands a policy initiated by President Donald Trump in February 2025 to label Latin American criminal organizations as terrorists to facilitate more aggressive legal and military action. The designations increase diplomatic pressure on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration, coinciding with indictments of Sinaloa state officials for cartel ties and ongoing controversies regarding U.S. operations within Mexico.