Trump’s crackdown on crime: U.S. declare drug cartels as “global terrorists”

As transnational criminal organizations exploit financial loopholes, experts call for stronger enforcement and anti-money laundering measures.

President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders aim to disrupt the financial power of transnational criminal organizations, particularly those fueling the fentanyl trade.

With drug cartels exploiting financial loopholes, shell companies, and free trade zones, illicit networks are becoming harder to track and dismantle.

Experts warn that these criminal enterprises launder billions of dollars through sophisticated schemes, including trade-based money laundering and offshore banking.

Analysts are now calling for aggressive countermeasures, such as enforcing the Corporate Transparency Act to unmask anonymous shell companies and expanding Trade Transparency Units to track illicit financial flows globally.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has also raised concerns, with some experts arguing that it facilitates strategic corruption and illicit financial activity.

Additionally, risky free trade zones in regions like Panama, Peru, and the UAE have become hotbeds for money laundering.

Trump’s executive orders seek to leverage existing laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, to combat cartel-related corruption.

The administration is also considering new policies to enhance financial transparency, disrupt drug financing, and impose stricter regulations on high-risk trade hubs.

With the fentanyl crisis continuing to claim lives, officials stress that dismantling the financial networks behind these operations is just as critical as tackling drug distribution.

As enforcement efforts ramp up, the battle against transnational crime is entering a new phase—one that will test the strength of U.S. financial and national security policies.

David Luna, the Executive Director of the International Coalition Against Illicit Economies joins Veronica Dudo to discuss.