Trump Administration Designated Narco-Terror Groups as Terrorist Organizations, Says NCTC Director Joe Kent

Kent disclosed that federal authorities have so far placed approximately 35,000 individuals identified as “narco-terrorists” on the national terrorist watchlist. In addition, U.S. security agencies have prevented nearly 6,000 suspected terrorists from entering the country, a measure he described as critical to safeguarding national borders and internal security.

He emphasized that the designation policy was designed to give federal agencies stronger legal authority, enhanced surveillance capabilities, and expanded operational tools to counter criminal networks that increasingly operate with the methods and impact of terrorist organizations. According to Kent, the strategy reflects an evolving threat landscape in which drug trafficking groups have expanded their reach, resources, and violence to levels that pose direct risks to U.S. interests.

Kent said the reclassification initiative is part of a wider national security framework aimed at dismantling organized crime structures and preventing foreign operatives linked to narco-terror groups from exploiting U.S. entry points. The preventive measures, he added, demonstrate the country’s determination to address hybrid threats that blur the lines between terrorism, organized crime, and cross-border trafficking.

As the United States continues to confront these converging security challenges, officials believe the expanded terrorism designation will help strengthen interagency coordination and elevate national preparedness. Kent underscored that the policy’s long-term significance lies in its ability to treat cartel violence and narco-terror activity with the same seriousness traditionally reserved for global terrorist networks—reinforcing a broader effort to shield the country from emerging, complex threats.