Donald Trump Backs Down on Plan to Designate Mexican Cartels Terrorists

President Donald Trump decided Friday not to officially designate Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, deferring instead to Mexico.

“We will temporarily hold off this designation and step up our joint efforts to deal decisively with these vicious and ever-growing organizations!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

The president said that although he was fully prepared to take the tough step against the cartels, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador asked him not to.

Trump said he liked and respected President Obrador, who has been working with him to help stop the flow of migrants crossing the Southern border of the United States.

Trump says Iran deal ‘largely negotiated’ as 84-day war nears possible end

Newsom declares state of emergency in Orange County as failing chemical tank nears catastrophic explosion

Breaking: US-Iran Peace Deal Nearly Reached

RFK Jr announces ‘largest autism fraud bust in American history’ with $46.6M Medicaid scheme indictment

US Army hits 2026 recruiting goals four months early, Pete Hegseth announces at West Point commencement

Breaking: Kyle Busch’s Family Reveals Cause of Death

EXCLUSIVE: Trump-backed military vet mocked for disability ahead of Memorial Day: ‘Most shameful thing’

What One Illinois Town Says About The Current State Of America

Instant Noodle Product Recalled After Life-Threatening Allergens Detected

Possible Statue of Pharaoh Who Moses May Have Confronted Discovered in Egypt

Sanders-backed gubernatorial hopeful’s past pro-life views clash with current abortion stance

Trump Issues Forceful Defense of His Anti-Weaponization Fund as Senate Republicans Balk

Military families want DOJ to distribute nearly $800M from French cement company found guilty of bribing ISIS

‘Moderate’ Dem’s unearthed ‘deconstruct’ law enforcement comments draw fire from GOP critics

Inside the rise of hardship politics as wealthy Democrats eye 2028

President Trump was expected to meet with his advisers on Friday to discuss the designation, which he has been previewing for months.

“All necessary work has been completed to declare Mexican Cartels terrorist organizations,” he confirmed on Friday. “Statutorily we are ready to do so.”

The cartel slaughter of nine American citizens in Mexico last month — six children and three women — prompted Trump to speed up the process.

U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr met with Obrador on Thursday to discuss the president’s proposal, which the Mexican president criticized as “interventionism” and a “flagrant violation of our sovereignty.” Obrador also cited President Obama’s failed gunrunning operation “Fast and Furious” as an example of how the United States only made violence worse in Mexico.

In March, Trump told Breitbart News that he was thinking “very seriously” about the idea.

“It’s psychological, but it’s also economic,” Trump said about the cartels. “As terrorists — as terrorist organizations, the answer is yes. They are.

The designation would allow law enforcement to act swiftly against the cartels as well as target their weaponry and financial resources. The federal government would also be allowed to prosecute friends and family members of the cartels supporting them in the United States, as well as organized gangs such as MS-13.