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.

Tyler Robinson hearing: Top moments from explosive Lance Twiggs interview played in court

Florida man who contacted police about 1987 killing arrested in connection to cold case

Dramatic bodycam video captures NYPD officer rescuing woman from top of Brooklyn Bridge after emotional plea

Queens man arrested with Molotov cocktails after alleged arson attacks on Ozone Park and Woodhaven churches

Eight indicted over plan to attack White House UFC fight with drones and snipers

Israel shares intelligence warning Iran plotted new assassination attempt against Trump: report

Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase Consider Teaming Up for Scheme to Extract Higher Card Transaction Fees

Robinson’s Alleged Kirk Assassination Rifle and Chilling Messages on Bullet Casings Shown in Court

DHS plans costly crackdown on states that don’t cooperate on election security

Damning Tyler Robinson letter accidentally flashed during Charlie Kirk murder hearing

White House drapes tarps while completing Trump’s newest construction project

Disturbing Video: Texas Cop Tells Preacher She Is Going to Ticket Him for Speech That Offends ‘Pride’ Event Goers

Incredible Video: Hero NYPD Officer Rescues Distressed Woman from Jumping Off Brooklyn Bridge

Unearthed records reveal Dem mayor sought tax hike to fund DEI role ahead of key House race

Communist Door Dasher Admits Stealing Food from DHS Orders, Gets Fired After Freaking Out When Company Dared Confront Her

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.