The U.S. designates criminal groups as terrorist entities. Amado Carrillo Fuentes, long-deceased former leader of the Juárez Cartel, is cited in reporting about cartels and cross-border crime dynamics.
The United States is stepping up a regional push against major drug-trafficking groups, designating several Latin American gangs as foreign terrorist organisations and expanding military-security cooperation. The move comes during a high-profile visit by the US secretary of state to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and signals intensified pressure on groups with narcotics that reach across borders.