A Mexican woman has become the first individual to be charged in the United States under new terrorism laws targeting foreign drug cartels, the Department of Justice announced on Friday. Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, 39, is accused of providing material support to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), a greMexican criminal organization recently designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
An unsealed indictment in the Western District of Texas alleges that Navarro-Sanchez conspired to furnish the CJNG with grenades and assisted the cartel in smuggling undocumented individuals, firearms, cash, and narcotics. She was arrested by Mexican authorities on May 4. During her arrest, a golden AR-15-style assault rifle, known as “El Dorado,” was reportedly recovered from her possession.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that cartels like CJNG are “terrorist groups that wreak havoc in American communities and are responsible for countless lives lost.” She emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment to border security and protecting Americans through effective prosecution. FBI Director Kash Patel echoed this sentiment, asserting that aligning with terrorist groups would result in individuals being “sought out and held to the highest extent of the law.”
The charges stem from a policy shift under President Donald Trump, who on his first day back in office in January signed an executive order declaring international cartels a national security threat beyond traditional organized crime. This directive paved the way for the “terrorism” designation of several Latin American criminal groups. In February, the CJNG was among eight such organizations, including the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), to be officially designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. Department of State.
The “foreign terrorist organization” label has traditionally been reserved for groups with specific political aims achieved through violence, such as al-Qaida or the Islamic State group. The Trump administration argues that the transnational operations of these cartels, including drug and migrant trafficking and violent territorial expansion, warrant the designation.
Navarro-Sanchez faces additional charges, including conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Two other Mexican nationals, Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 27, and Gustavo Castro-Medina, 28, were also indicted alongside Navarro-Sanchez on charges related to firearms and alien smuggling.
The CJNG is identified by the Department of Justice as a transnational criminal organization with a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the United States. In addition to fentanyl trafficking, the cartel engages in money laundering, bribery, extortion of migrants, and other violent criminal activities.
President Trump has directed the Justice Department and other agencies to work towards the “total elimination” of cartels due to the threats they pose to the nation. The Mexican government reportedly assisted in Navarro-Sanchez’s arrest, reflecting a stated willingness to cooperate in pursuing cartel operations.
