In a recent interview with CBS News’ Scott McFarland, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Acting Administrator, Derek Maltz, detailed the agency’s intensified efforts in the war on drugs.
In this interview, Maltz discusses the Trump administration’s designation of eight Latin American drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. This move, intended to sever financial support to the cartels, places them on par with groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
At DEA headquarters, walls lined with photos of Americans killed by fentanyl serve as a powerful reminder of the crisis caused by drug cartels. Maltz, who also keeps victims’ photos on his phone, emphasized the human cost.
“Let me make this clear. The cartels’ motive is to make as much money as they can, but they really don’t care about the collateral damage that’s well established,” Maltz explained. “This is the cost of doing business. If they kill 100,000 Americans, but they make billions of dollars. That’s okay with them.”
By labeling the cartels as terrorist groups, the administration aims to use anti-terrorism laws to prosecute anyone aiding them, including Americans who may unknowingly send money that ends up with a cartel. National security expert Rachel Levinson Waldman warned this could have unintended consequences, especially for immigrants and U.S.–Mexico relations.
A recent federal lawsuit filed by the family of a slain DEA agent underscores the impact of this designation. The suit uses legal channels only available to terror victims, potentially setting a precedent.
Critics argue that this approach could backfire by straining cooperation with Mexico and scaring off valuable cartel informants. Still, Maltz insists that a tougher stance is necessary, saying, “We just can’t keep relying on people that don’t want to cooperate. We have to be more aggressive than we have been.”
Watch the full interview at CBS News.