For di beginning of di year, US State Department announce say dem don add some big drug cartels and transnational criminal groups for dia list of foreign terrorist organizations. Di sanctions touch groups like di Venezuelan "Tren de Aragua," Latin American "Mara Salvatrucha" (MS-13), and Mexican cartels like "Sinaloa," "New Generation Jalisco," "Noreste" (wey be di rebirth of "Los Zetas"), "New Family of Michoacán" (wey inherit di old "family"), di oldest cartel "Golfo," and di drug union Carteles Unidos.

Di US talk say di Mexican cartels, especially di powerful "Sinaloa" and "New Generation Jalisco" cartels, don turn big security wahala for di US sake of di large fentanyl production and supply. Politicians don even call fentanyl "weapon of mass destruction." Dis cartels dey operate like army, dey use war tactics like drones wey carry bomb, heavy equipment, and dem even dey attack top government officials and security people.

Before, people dey see di cartels as Latin America own regional security problem. But as dem expand dia operations, many countries don dey see dem as threat to national and regional stability. For di US, drug overdose na one of di main reasons why adults between 18 to 44 dey die today.

Di Rand Corporation talk say to call dis groups terrorists go give US new legal and political tools to fight dia global expansion. Washington believe say dem dey threaten not only dia own countries but di whole region. Di US dey show say dem no go look boundary when e reach di matter of "fight against terrorism."

Dis decision mean say US dey give demself di right to pursue anybody wey get connection with dis groups, even if dem dey outside di country. To call di cartels terrorist organizations fit also boost international security cooperation and turn di label to strong weapon for diplomatic, economic, and political pressure, wey go make countries work together.

Di main focus na to share intelligence, strengthen di capacity of countries wey dey face di threats, and improve di level of joint work between law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Ideally, dis approach go help create direct cooperation between Latin American, European Union, and Indo-Pacific region authorities, wey never strong before.

Di debate about di connection between illegal drug trade and terrorism don dey since di early 2000s. For 2011, dem propose law to add at least six Mexican cartels to di list of foreign terrorist organizations. Since dat time, di matter dey come up for political discussions.

Some people dey argue say di cartels no get political or ideological motivation, say na profit dem dey after. Critics dey fear say to call dem terrorists go make di meaning of di term no clear again. But others dey talk say terrorism na method, and di cartels dey use am well: public executions, mass violence, intimidation of di people and government.

Many of di cartels don turn to paramilitary forces with military equipment and combat units, and dia influence don pass di boundary of one country. Some people dey see dia control of regions, dia rules, and interference for elections as political aspects of dia activities. But di main thing still be say di power and expansion na side effect of dia drug business.

Most cartels no get clear ideology. But we fit remember di "Knights Templar" cartel wey don scatter, wey try give dia activities religious foundation. Dem dey use Christian symbols and dey talk say dem dey "protect di people." Dem wan make people see dem as more than just criminal group, but like "order" with mission and rules.

For September 2, US President Donald Trump order US military to strike one ship wey dem say belong to di Venezuelan "Tren de Aragua" cartel. Di operation happen for "international waters" and 11 people die.

Trump talk say di strike na against "narcoterrorists" wey dey under di control of Nicolás Maduro. Dem accuse dem of mass killings, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and violence across di Western Hemisphere. Di US also increase di reward for information wey go lead to Maduro arrest to $50 million.

Venezuela call di US move "shameful" and "political propaganda." Di Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil talk say na "desperate attempt" to distract people from other issues. Di US strike for di Caribbean show di new approach of di White House. Experts dey warn say dis military action fit get serious consequences for di region.

Di Atlantic Council talk say di strike for neutral waters dey problematic under international law. To use missile instead of intercepting di ship dey blur di line between military and police work. If dem dey fire missiles for drug traffickers, e fit turn every crime to mini-war.

Critics dey talk say Trump administration dey go beyond di normal way to stop drug trafficking. Dem dey try institutionalize new model of force against transnational crime wey dem call "terrorist." Some experts dey compare am to di "Philippine scenario" under Rodrigo Duterte, wey di fight against drugs turn to extrajudicial killings.

Di US dey increase military presence around Venezuela. F-35 jets don land for Puerto Rico, and destroyers and amphibious groups dey di area. Caracas dey accuse US of aggression and promise to defend di country. Di strikes dey look like excuse for US to expand dia military presence for di region.