Trump’s Treasury Department is finally treating drug cartels like the terrorists they are – hitting them where it hurts most: their blood-soaked bank accounts.
At a Glance
- The Trump administration has designated drug cartels as terrorist organizations, enabling stronger financial attacks against them
- Treasury has targeted 9 entities and 16 individuals with sanctions, including members of the Cartel del Noreste and Sinaloa Cartel
- Brink’s Global Services was fined $37 million for anti-money laundering violations that facilitated cartel operations
- Recent data shows fentanyl overdose deaths have dropped 21% since June 2023, falling below 90,000 annually
- Mexican cartels remain the primary source of fentanyl, with 21,100 pounds seized at the southern border versus just 43 pounds from Canada
Hitting Cartels Where It Hurts Most: Their Wallets
While the Biden administration spent years wringing their hands and pretending the border was secure, the Trump team has returned with a financial sledgehammer aimed directly at drug cartels’ operations. By officially designating these murderous organizations as terrorist groups, Treasury officials can now deploy the full arsenal of America’s financial weapons against them. It’s about time someone in Washington recognized what everyday Americans have known for years – these aren’t just “drug dealers,” they’re violent terrorists operating a stone’s throw from American soil.
“One of the most important things that the president did upon coming into office was to declare a number of the narco groups terrorist organizations,” said Michael Faulkender, Deputy Treasury Secretary. “It’s one thing to have our partners at [the Department of Homeland Security] work on stopping the flow of people and drugs, but we can also use our financial tools to go after the money.”
The strategy is refreshingly straightforward – if you can’t make money trafficking drugs and humans, you’ll eventually stop doing it. Remarkable how common sense finally returns to Washington when adults are back in charge. Treasury officials have already sanctioned members of the Cartel del Noreste and individuals linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, effectively cutting them off from the legitimate financial system that they’ve exploited for decades.
Corporate Enablers Finally Face Consequences
For too long, supposedly legitimate businesses have looked the other way while cartels laundered billions through their systems. The Trump administration is finally holding these corporate enablers accountable. Case in point: Brink’s Global Services was slapped with a $37 million fine for failing to maintain proper anti-money laundering controls, which essentially gave cartels an express lane for moving their illicit cash. That’s the kind of accountability that was completely absent during the previous administration.
The financial warfare extends beyond just blocking transactions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made it clear that this administration isn’t playing games: “We will continue to cut off the cartels’ ability to obtain the drugs, money, and guns that enable their violent activities.” For once, we’re targeting not just the foot soldiers but the entire financial infrastructure that keeps these criminal enterprises operating. Unlike the previous administration, which seemed content to let cartel money flow freely across our borders, Trump’s team is systematically dismantling their economic foundation.
The Fentanyl Crisis Shows Signs of Improvement
While the White House has described the fentanyl situation as “killing 250,000 [or] 300,000 American people per year,” the reality is that we’re finally seeing a decline in these tragic deaths. Data shows fentanyl overdose fatalities have dropped 21% since June 2023, with annual deaths falling below 90,000. That’s still 90,000 too many American lives lost, but at least we’re moving in the right direction for the first time in years.
The administration’s tariff strategy has raised eyebrows, particularly regarding Canada, which contributes less than 1% of illicit fentanyl entering the U.S. In 2024, border officials seized just 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border compared to a staggering 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. The numbers don’t lie – Mexican cartels remain the primary producers and distributors of street fentanyl killing Americans. And despite the mainstream media’s reluctance to admit it, this administration’s financial pressure campaign seems to be working where previous efforts failed.
International Cooperation or Consequences
The Trump administration isn’t just asking nicely for cooperation – they’re using America’s economic might to force action. Tariffs against Mexico aren’t just about immigration; they’re leverage to ensure Mexican authorities actively track and penalize cartel money flows. Meanwhile, Chinese cooperation on preventing precursor chemicals from reaching cartels has improved, though we’ll need to watch carefully how recent tariffs affect this relationship. The White House doesn’t mince words, stating that “the Mexican drug trafficking organizations have an intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico.”
For years, the cartels have operated with near impunity, corrupting officials on both sides of the border and laundering their blood money through legitimate businesses. Now, finally, we have an administration treating this as the national security crisis it truly is. By attacking the financial networks that keep cartels in business, the Treasury Department is doing what border walls alone cannot – making the entire criminal enterprise unprofitable. And in the world of organized crime, when the money dries up, so does the motivation.
