State Department Designates Juarez Cartel and Los Viagras as Foreign Terrorist Organizations
Published Jul 16, 2026Effective Jul 16, 2026
The U.S. Department of State published a notice in the Federal Register on July 16, 2026, designating the Juarez Cartel and Los Viagras as Foreign Terrorist Organizations under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The designations took effect immediately upon publication.
Key points
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the determination after consulting with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury.
- The Juarez Cartel is also known as Cartel de Juarez, La Linea, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, VCFO, and Barrio Azteca.
- Los Viagras is also known as Los Viagras Cartel, Cartel de Los Viagras, and Los Blancos de Troya.
- Foreign Terrorist Organization designations can trigger inadmissibility and visa ineligibility grounds under the INA for members or material supporters.
- The designations are effective as of the July 16, 2026 Federal Register publication date.
Who is affected
Individuals affiliated with or alleged to provide support to these organizations, as well as related visa or immigration applicants, may be affected.
What to do
Those with potential ties to these organizations should consult an immigration attorney regarding inadmissibility implications.
Full text
The complete official text was archived on this site on 2026-10-12. It stays available here even if the source link changes or is removed.
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Department of State
[Public Notice: 13065]
Based upon a review of the Administrative Records assembled in this matter, and in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, I have concluded that there is a sufficient factual basis to find that the relevant circumstances described in section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended (hereinafter “INA”) (8 U.S.C. 1189), exist with respect to: Juarez Cartel (also known as Cartel de Juarez, La Linea, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, VCFO, Carrillo Fuentes Drug Trafficking Organization, Barrio Azteca) and Los Viagras (also known as Los Viagras Cartel, Cartel de Los Viagras, Los Blancos de Troya).
Therefore, I hereby designate the aforementioned organizations and their respective aliases as Foreign Terrorist Organizations pursuant to section 219 of the INA.
This determination shall be published in the Federal Register . These designations go into effect upon publication.
Dated: July 2, 2026.
Marco Rubio,
Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2026-14259 Filed 7-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-AD-P
Original title: Foreign Terrorist Organization Designation of Juarez Cartel and Los Viagras
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