DOJ Moves to Hit Corrupt Mexican Officials with Terror Charges in Latest Cartel Crackdown

The Trump administration is preparing a major escalation in its war on the Mexican drug cartels.

According to The New York Times, the DOJ is instructing federal prosecutors to pursue terrorism charges against Mexican officials accused of helping cartel operations.

NEW: The DOJ is pushing federal prosecutors to investigate and use terrorism laws to prosecute any Mexican officials found to be corrupt.

Scoop w/ @londonoe and @alanfeuer:https://t.co/bcUacn5GMF

— Jack Nicas (@jacknicas) May 15, 2026

Immediately after taking office last year, Trump designated several major Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, giving prosecutors wider authority to bring more serious charges against those accused of supporting them.

According to reports, DOJ officials told prosecutors to build cases not only around drug trafficking and corruption, but also around allegations of material support for terrorism.

Meanwhile, CNN reported earlier this week that the CIA has expanded covert operations inside Mexico, including targeted killings of cartel operatives.

However, the Trump administration denied this.

REPORT: CIA is Waging a Secret Assassination Campaign Against Mexican Cartels

U.S. prosecutors recently charged Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya, along with several current and former Mexican officials, over alleged links to cartel activity. Rocha has denied the accusations.

DEA Administrator Terrance Cole told lawmakers this week that further prosecutions are expected.

The administration has made cartel enforcement a central priority, arguing that fentanyl trafficking and cartel violence pose a direct threat to American national security.

Mexico has extradited dozens of cartel suspects to the U.S. in recent months, including high-profile traffickers, but tensions have risen over U.S. prosecutions targeting senior political figures.

The country’s leftist president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has objected to previous cases involving Mexican officials and accused Washington of failing to provide sufficient evidence of their guilt.

🔴 “Se les olvida la más importante, pedir pruebas”, dijo Claudia Sheinbaum sobre las versiones que se plantean en el caso de Rubén Rocha Moya y otros funcionarios acusados en NY.

La presidenta afirmó que no se trata de una “decisión política”, sino de una postura “responsable”,… pic.twitter.com/oa3BuQBuPW

— El Universal (@El_Universal_Mx) May 14, 2026

Sheinbaum has previously sought to alter the Mexican constitution to protect the cartels from American response, saying any attacks would amount to an attack on the country’s “sovereignty.”

“What we want to make clear in the face of this designation is that we do not negotiate sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said at the time.

“This cannot be an opportunity on the part of the United States to invade our sovereignty.”

If successfully extradited and convicted of material support for terrorism charges, which carry severe penalties, the Mexican officials could face the rest of their lives in American prison cells.