The move comes after President Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office vowing to crack down on cartels for a "campaign of violence and terror." Driving the news: Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a Federal Register notice Wednesday that the groups pose a threat to national security and should be labeled as terrorist organizations under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The Trump administration designated eight Latin American crime organizations as “foreign terrorist organizations,” upping its pressure on cartels operating in the U.S. and on anyone aiding them.