Mexican Cartels and U.S. National Security: Between Criminal Economies and Securitization Discourses
Mexican Cartels and U.S. National Security: Between Criminal Economies and Securitization Discourses

Summary/Abstract: The U.S. Department of State designated several Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) in February 2025. This measure reignited debates about the threat these groups pose to U.S. national security. This article contends that such classification exaggerates their role as transnational terrorist actors and risks distorting bilateral security cooperation. Drawing on an ethnographic study of cartels in Michoacán, the analysis highlights three defining features: their primarily economic orientation, their reliance on systemic corruption, and the absence of ideological agendas directed at the United States. These characteristics distinguish cartels from traditional terrorist organizations. Their impact on U.S. security is indirect—deriving from the destabilization of Mexico's institutions and society, which undermines regional stability and U.S. strategic interests. The study concludes that cartels should be understood as powerful criminal corporations embedded in Mexico's political and economic structures. Their threat lies in eroding governance south of the border rather than in any direct existential challenge. The article further argues that the FTO designation may exacerbate violence and complicate bilateral cooperation while creating new legal and financial risks for legitimate businesses.

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