"Well the cartels want to expand their power and prevent the border wall from being built, prevent the enforcement of human and sex trafficking, prevent the shutdown of the fetanyl flood."

I'm curious how you think the violence and crime the cartels bring to our country is in any way politically motivated to achieve those things you list?

How would that threat mechanism work?

They threaten violence against civilians on the border whose land they trespass.
They pay off politicians. They pay off officers.

Causing civil instability and large crime becomes a politician issue because it is a threat to the established social contract under which we are governed.

texagbeliever said:

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They threaten violence against civilians on the border whose land they trespass.
They pay off politicians. They pay off officers.

Causing civil instability and large crime becomes a politician issue because it is a threat to the established social contract under which we are governed.

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These are tactics of organized crime like the Mafia, not a terrorist group.

How often does the Mafia target civilians or civil authorities with violence? There are some examples in Italy like Falcone, but that resulted in escalated government action, not blowing them off as simple underprivileged gang activity.

How often do organized crime gangs execute politicians and local authorities in public, outside of the Mexican and Central American cartels? You ever see Gambino thugs killing a New York mayor?

Terrorism is most consistently defined by methods, not by whether or not you can agree with a clear political motive. And the cartels do have clear political objectives, regardless.

We had to debate this topic in a national security class at A&M; the political motive discussion just goes in hair-splitting circles. The only consistent characterization is of tactics, and cartels certainly seem to meet the standard these days.