“Designating these cartels as FTOs (foreign terrorist organizations) would not grant us any additional authorities that we don’t really have at this time. The United States has powerful sanctions authorities specifically designated to combat narcotics trafficking organizations and the individuals and entities that enable them,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday.
“In the last few months alone Treasury has announced a series of actions against cartels that are dangerous to the public safety and we have also taken action that further enables Treasury to sanction foreign persons,” she continued, adding that such efforts had hindered the ability of drug traffickers to hide their assets from the U.S. government.
[They are likely correct on this point. Congress has already granted broad authority to the executive branch to dismantle cartels and their financing. An AUMF might be a different story, as it would allow for direct military action, but I doubt that Biden wants that either. — Ed]
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