Donald Trump has signed an executive order designating Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
The order states that cartels have engaged in a campaign of violence and terror campaigns and flooded the US with crime, posing a national security risk to the U.S.
Moreover, the order emphasizes the priority of ensuring the total eliminations of these groups in the U.S.
Transnational criminal organizations from Mexico present the most significant drug-related threats to the U.S. and legally challenging them has proven to be extremely difficult.
Mexican cartels have vast areas of influence within the U.S., and they continue to operate through various cells to evade law enforcement (official statements provide further insight).
The crux of the matter is that Trump’s declared “war” on Mexican cartels also serves other underlying goals.
1. Trump appears to be keen on opening avenues to prosecute legitimate businesses connected to these cartels. This raises a pertinent question: Which billionaire or millionaire, whom Trump perceives as a rival, might have ties to the Mexican cartels?
2. Additionally, recognizing these groups as foreign terrorist organizations could provide a basis for justifying military actions against targets in Mexico or other countries where similar groups are active.
Should Trump maintain a steadfast approach against the cartels, it is likely that gunfights and fatalities within the U.S. will escalate. However, the situation has implications that may warrant attention from Azerbaijan.
Reports indicate that Mexican cartels in the U.S. have potential connections with Armenian criminal organizations.
In my assessment, Armenian criminal networks associated with Mexican cartels in the U.S., including the internationally connected “Armenian Power” mafia group, could be significantly impacted by Trump’s actions.
If this scenario unfolds, possible prediction emerges:
It is highly probable that these Armenian criminal organizations are involved in funding schemes tied to the Armenian lobby.
Should these networks be disrupted, the Armenian lobby may face severe setbacks, weakening its influence within U.S. political and public sphere.
Therefore, Trump’s campaign against the cartels could have beneficial consequences for Azerbaijan, which, while not necessarily prioritizing these developments, is likely to monitor them closely.
Agshin Karimov,
Social Research Centre