Mexico: Rebranding the Cartel Wars

Mexican lawmakers recently approved reforms to the federal penal code to punish terrorist acts. Significantly, the legislators acknowledged that the definition of terrorism was written in such a way that violent and extortionist acts of cartels could be classified as terrorism. Fundamental differences between organized criminal and terrorist groups exist, but politically characterizing certain cartel acts as terrorism could develop into a more subtle attempt by the Mexican government to dilute public tolerance for cartel activity. If implemented against cartel members, the law could also carry significant implications for U.S. involvement in the drug war.