标签： North America

In a dramatic shift from established norms, the Trump administration has executed the most substantial expansion of the US Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list since its inception in 1997. Within the first year of his second term, President Trump has designated 26 new groups as terrorist organizations—a staggering increase compared to the historical average of approximately two additions annually.

The FTO list now exceeds 90 designated groups, surpassing the previous peak of 60 during the Islamic State’s dominance in the mid-2010s. This designation carries severe consequences: providing material support to listed groups becomes a felony offense, financial institutions must freeze associated assets, and alleged associates face entry bans or deportation from the United States.

Most controversially, the administration has expanded the terrorist designation beyond traditional ideological groups to include numerous drug cartels and criminal organizations. Groups such as Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, Haiti’s Gran Grif, and Ecuador’s Los Lobos now appear alongside organizations like Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, which continues to direct international attacks.

This policy shift has enabled military actions traditionally reserved for counterterrorism operations. The administration has conducted 35 missile strikes against alleged drug trafficking operations, resulting in approximately 120 casualties. These actions culminated in the January overthrow of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom the administration accused of leading the Cartel de los Soles—though the Justice Department subsequently dropped claims of the cartel’s existence just two days after his capture.

The expansion has created significant strain on enforcement resources and drawn criticism from analysts who question the strategic wisdom of applying counterterrorism frameworks to criminal organizations. Research indicates that such approaches often backfire, potentially increasing violence rather than containing it.

Notably, this transformation represents a decoupling from traditional US allies on counterterrorism policy. While historically following US designations, major allies including the United Kingdom and Australia have declined to similarly expand their terrorist lists to include criminal organizations. Instead, some allies have focused on designating far-right extremist networks—a category conspicuously absent from the US expansion.

The policy shift reflects broader changes in US foreign policy alignment, with only a few Trump-aligned Latin American countries and Canada (reportedly for trade considerations) following the US lead in designating cartels as terrorist organizations.

MINNEAPOLIS — The Trump administration has acknowledged potential procedural violations by immigration agents during operations in Minneapolis that resulted in the fatal shooting of a nurse, signaling a shift in tone amid growing national outcry. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller stated Tuesday that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents may have failed to adhere to established protocols during the incident that claimed the life of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.

The administration’s conciliatory stance emerged alongside a disturbing security breach targeting Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who was assaulted with an unknown liquid from a syringe during a town hall meeting where she had been criticizing the administration’s immigration policies. The simultaneous developments underscore the volatile atmosphere in the city following weeks of escalating tensions between federal authorities and local communities.

President Trump, in comments to Fox News, indicated his administration would “de-escalate a little bit” its operations in Minneapolis while emphasizing the move did not constitute a full withdrawal. The president distanced himself from previous inflammatory rhetoric, specifically rejecting the “assassin” label previously applied to Pretti by Miller, and called for “a very honorable and honest investigation” into the shooting.

The administration’s reassessment includes the expected departure of Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, whom Trump characterized as “a pretty out-there kind of a guy” whose presence may have exacerbated tensions. Top border security official Tom Homan has been dispatched to Minneapolis for meetings with local officials, including Mayor Jacob Frey, who reiterated the city’s position that it “will not enforce federal immigration laws.”

The Pretti shooting marks the second fatal incident involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in recent weeks, following the death of US citizen Renee Good. Both cases have drawn national attention to the tactics employed by masked, heavily armed immigration agents operating in urban centers, with multiple video recordings contradicting initial official accounts that portrayed Pretti as a threatening “domestic terrorist.”

A fatal shooting by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Minneapolis has ignited widespread protests, a fierce political confrontation, and mounting calls for accountability at the highest levels of government. The incident, resulting in the death of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti, has placed the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) aggressive immigration enforcement tactics under intense scrutiny.

In a significant development, CBP confirmed that the two agents involved in Saturday’s shooting have been placed on standard administrative leave pending a full investigation. This move follows conflicting initial reports about their status, after a CBP commander had previously stated they were merely reassigned to a different city.

The official narrative surrounding Pretti’s death has shifted substantially. Preliminary DHS reports to Congress indicate the shooting occurred during a physical altercation when an officer shouted that Pretti possessed a weapon. This account contradicts earlier statements from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who labeled Pretti’s actions ‘domestic terrorism’ and claimed he was ‘brandishing’ a firearm. BBC Verify’s analysis of available footage found no visible weapon in Pretti’s hand.

The tragedy has triggered bipartisan condemnation in Congress, with lawmakers from both parties demanding the removal of Secretary Noem and White House immigration adviser Stephen Miller. Senior House Democrats have threatened to initiate impeachment proceedings against Noem unless she resigns or is dismissed.

Meanwhile, the political battle over immigration enforcement has intensified. President Trump’s ‘Operation Metro Surge’—which has led to over 3,000 arrests in Minnesota since December—faces mounting legal and political challenges. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey defiantly announced his city would maintain its sanctuary policies, prompting Trump to respond on his Truth Social platform that Frey was ‘PLAYING WITH FIRE.’

In a related development, federal Judge John Tunheim issued a strongly-worded ruling ordering the government to release all refugees arrested while awaiting permanent residency documents and to return those removed from Minnesota. The judge emphasized that refugees ‘are not committing crimes on our streets, nor did they illegally cross the border.’

The Minneapolis shooting represents the second controversial agent-involved shooting this month, following the January 7th incident where an ICE agent shot 37-year-old Renee Good, who was also placed on administrative leave.

As tensions escalate, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the Justice Department has arrested 16 individuals for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement officers in Minneapolis, with ‘more arrests to come.’ The situation remains volatile with Congress considering removing DHS funding from must-pass spending legislation to prevent a government shutdown on February 1st.

Tensions flared outside a Texas immigration detention facility as state troopers deployed pepper balls and confronted demonstrators protesting the custody of a five-year-old child and his father. The incident occurred Wednesday at the Dilley detention center where Liam Ramos and his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias have been held since their January 20th apprehension by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minneapolis.

The case has drawn significant political attention, with Texas Democratic Representatives Joaquin Castro, Jasmine Crockett, and Greg Casar visiting the facility and publicly condemning the detention. Castro posted emotionally on social media about meeting the preschooler asleep in his father’s arms, while Crockett described her heartbreak over what she termed ‘wrongful detention.’

Conflicting narratives have emerged regarding the initial apprehension. ICE claims the father ‘abandoned his child as he fled from officers,’ while school officials present a different account. Zena Stenvik, superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, stated at a press conference that ICE agents had the child knock on doors to locate other residents and refused requests from adults to take custody of the boy.

Family attorney Marc Prokosch maintains the family followed proper asylum protocols, entering through a designated port of entry using the CBP One app and attending all required hearings. ‘They were following all established protocols,’ Prokosch emphasized, adding they ‘pose no safety or flight risk.’

The protest was organized by Texas community groups, unions, and faith leaders who held a vigil before marching to the facility. The demonstration occurs amid broader national outcry over Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement initiative in Minnesota that has resulted in multiple arrests and recently, the deaths of two U.S. citizens during federal operations.