Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)The Office of Counterterrorism of the Department of State has stated, FTO designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business.. (2)Foreign drug cartels have used brutal tactics of violence and the threat of violence against United States citizens to protect and expand their drug trade and as well as their areas of operation. In September 2010, American David Hartley was shot by the Mexican drug cartel, the Zetas, while jet skiing, because he unknowingly came too close to their avenues for drug smuggling across Falcon Lake in Texas. In February 2011, Special Agent Jaime Zapata, an Immigrations and Customs Agent, was murdered by the Zetas while on duty in Mexico. These are only two cases of many where American lives have been lost or threatened due to the actions of drug cartels. (3)When Americans at home and abroad, including agents assigned to protect United States borders and national security, are targeted, threatened, and attacked by such foreign entities, it serves a continual threat to the safety and security of the United States and its people. (4)The Mexican drug cartels meet all of the legal criteria for designation as foreign terrorist organizations under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189): (A)The organizations are foreign organizations. (B)The organizations engage in terrorist activity (as defined in section 212(a)(3)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B)) or terrorism (as defined in section 140(d)(2) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f(d)(2)), or retain the capability and intent to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism). (C)The terrorist activity or terrorism of the organizations threatens the security of United States nationals or the national security of the United States.