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.

Obama Center takes heat as critics cry foul over ID rules for free entry — while Dems blast voter ID laws

Watch: Hegseth Describes Pilot’s Miraculous Easter Rescue in Terms the Godless Biden Admin Wouldn’t Dare Utter

New poll reveals Spanberger’s popularity is plummeting amid backlash over gerrymandering

Bald-headed killer smiles as prosecutors reveal what she did before dad walked in

Tim Walz-Appointed Judge Throws Out All Charges Against Woman Accused of Interrupting Easter Service

Repeat offender with 19 felonies busted after wild caught-on-camera chase: police

Orban accuses Ukraine of terrorist plot against pipeline amid uphill election battle

Megan Rapinoe Back in the Spotlight – And Getting Torched – For Blasting Rule Protecting Women Athletes

Trump claims he’d win as the president of Venezuela — just needs to ‘quickly’ learn Spanish

Steve Daines’ handpicked Senate successor Kurt Alme vows to keep Montana in Republican hands in 2026

CIA Director Says Iran Was ‘Embarrassed’ and ‘Humiliated’ After American Rescue Mission

Woman gives birth midflight as air traffic controller suggests fitting name for baby

Trump and Hegseth lean hard on religion in post-Easter Iran press conference: ‘God is good’

Murder suspect on ICE hold accused of luring teen into death trap where victim’s final plea went unheard

Congress urged to open antitrust investigation into Apple and OpenAI over ‘left-leaning bias’

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.