Democrats Urge Trump Administration to Use Terrorist Designation on Eight Cartels to Curb 70% U.S. Gun Flow and Oil Smuggling

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Published May 9, 2025, 08:51 PM

A coalition of House and Senate Democrats, including Representatives Menendez and Dan Goldman and Senators Lujan and Bennet, is urging the Trump administration to leverage the recent designation of eight Latin American drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) to curb the flow of American-made firearms across the southern border. They highlight that approximately 70% of guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico originate from the United States, fueling cartel violence, drug and human trafficking, and gang activity. The lawmakers emphasize that providing material support to FTOs is a federal crime and call on the Department of Justice to take action against U.S. gun manufacturers that enable cartel operations. Separately, Representative Dan Crenshaw pointed to a new cartel activity involving the smuggling of stolen oil into the U.S. through shell companies, implicating complicit American businesses. Mexican criminal groups like the CJNG are also involved in fuel theft (known as "huachicoleo"), with stolen Pemex fuel being trafficked to neighboring countries such as Guatemala and Belize.

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#House #Senate Democrats #Menendez #Dan Goldman #Lujan #Bennet #Trump #Latin American #Foreign Terrorist Organizations #American #Mexico #United States #Department of Justice #Dan Crenshaw #Mexican #Pemex #Guatemala #Belize

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Sources

El Universal

@El_Universal_Mx

Huachicoleo by criminal groups such as the CJNG also occurs across Mexico's southern border; fuel stolen from Pemex reaches countries such as Guatemala and Belize https://t.co/Vn8avhIw1D https://t.co/iYEnjhrI8x

Senator Ben Ray Luján

@SenatorLujan

The Trump administration must crack down on the flow of hundreds of thousands of American-made firearms that arm violent cartels and fuel gang violence and drug and human trafficking. @SenatorBennet, @RepDanGoldman, @RepMenendez, and I are urging the Trump administration to

Dan Crenshaw

@DanCrenshawTX

The cartels have found a new hustle: smuggling stolen oil. They're moving it into the U.S. through shell companies and selling it with help from complicit American businesses. Reminder to any businesses involved: cartels are now foreign terrorist organizations—you’re complicit in

Story Timeline

4 days ago•Latest version

Trump Administration FTO Designation Spurs Crackdown on Mexican Cartel Oil Smuggling and US Gun Flow, Treasury Targets Money Laundering

5 days ago•Original version

Democrats Urge Trump Administration to Use Terrorist Designation on Eight Cartels to Curb 70% U.S. Gun Flow and Oil Smuggling

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Democrats Urge Trump Administration to Use Terrorist Designation on Eight Cartels to Curb 70% U.S. Gun Flow and Oil Smuggling

Related Prediction Markets

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Story Timeline

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