A group of families who lost loved ones to cartel violence is calling on the Trump administration to formally designate the Juarez Cartel and its armed wing, La Linea, as foreign terrorist organizations. The designation would place them alongside six other Mexican cartels already classified as FTOs, enabling enhanced U.S. action against the groups.
In a letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, members of American Families Against Cartel Terrorism urged the administration to act. The group includes relatives of the LeBaron family, nine of whom—women and children—were murdered in a 2019 ambush just south of the New Mexico border. The Juarez Cartel and La Linea have long been identified as responsible for the massacre.
“This is not just about our families, it is about keeping Americans safe and getting justice for all American victims,” the letter reads. The families argued that designating the cartel as a terrorist group sends a clear message that the United States will not tolerate attacks on its citizens or communities.
Though Mexican officials made several arrests in the case, the families accuse authorities of minimizing the incident and covering up the details. The attackers, according to Mexican government claims, mistook the American convoy for a rival gang. After opening fire, they allegedly attempted to incinerate the vehicles to conceal evidence.
The Trump administration previously designated multiple cartels as foreign terrorist organizations to increase pressure on Mexico and strengthen U.S. counterterrorism tools. A formal FTO label permits U.S. agencies to freeze assets, restrict travel, and pursue broader prosecution of cartel members.
With cartel violence increasingly spilling across the border and targeting Americans, the families’ demand underscores growing calls for a hardline response. The Juarez Cartel remains active in trafficking, extortion, and territorial warfare, particularly in northern Mexico near the U.S. border.
