The FBI has instructed local law enforcement agencies to submit names of individuals tied to certain drug cartels and gangs for potential inclusion on the U.S. government's terrorist watch list created after the 9/11 attacks, according to a new report.
The move could significantly increase the number of Americans flagged on the list, which currently contains about 1.1 million names, which included roughly 6,000 U.S. citizens and permanent residents in August 2024.
Reuters reported that a May 9 email from the FBI directed local police to share information on individuals linked to eight criminal organizations designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration earlier this year. The groups include the MS-13 gang, Tren de Aragua, and the Sinaloa drug cartel. The bureau also requested details about family members and associates of those connected to these groups.
The email, obtained by transparency nonprofit Property of the People through a public records request, was sent to law enforcement groups including the National Sheriff's Association, which confirmed receipt to Reuters.
A former FBI assistant director conveyed that agencies holding relevant information "are required to share" it with the National Counterterrorism Center, where a team led by the FBI's Threat Screening Center will determine who should be added to the watch list.
The FBI stated that the watch listing system serves as a "tripwire" to keep violent criminals, drug traffickers, and human smugglers out of the country. The bureau also recently added 300,000 immigration records to the National Crime Information Center database, increasing law enforcement's access to relevant data.
Civil liberties advocates, however, expressed concern about the expansion. Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU's National Security Project, called the move "a notoriously error-prone, bloated, due process nightmare" and said the new instructions raise "major red flags."
Concerns include the government's past reliance on questionable evidence, such as tattoos and clothing, to identify gang affiliation. A federal judge ruled in 2019 that parts of the watch list process violate due process rights of some U.S. citizens.
In related news, a new report by The New York Times has revealed that the Trump administration reportedly authorized the use of military force against Latin American cartels designated as terrorist organizations, a decision that would include potential operations at sea and foreign soil, reflecting an escalation in the administration's approach to combating these groups.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said President Trump's "top priority is protecting the homeland," citing the designation of cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations. In recent weeks, the administration added Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles to the terrorist list and increased the reward for information on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to $50 million.
Originally published on Latin Times
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