Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
2-2026
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program
Political Science
Advisor
Peter Romaniuk
Keywords
cartels, terrorism, narcotrafficking, Mexico, narcoterrorism, counterterrorism, Mexican-American, gun-trafficking, opinion-research, diplomacy
Abstract
This thesis examines the political, social, and security implications of the U.S. government’s designation of cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), with a particular focus on its effects on U.S.–Mexico relations and Mexican American communities. While existing research has extensively analyzed counterterrorism and cartels, there is still an open debate regarding the justification to designating cartels as FTOs. Additionally, there is a gap in the scholarship focus on Mexican American communities’ opinion. This study addresses both gaps by analyzing how terrorism labels reshape security cooperation, legal authorities, and public perceptions of cartels, violence, and drug addiction in Mexico and the U.S.
To answer the central question, how do Mexican Americans interpret U.S. counterterrorism and security policy pertaining to Mexico, especially the designation of cartels as FTOs?, the research applies a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative analysis of U.S. policy, Congress project reforms, and bilateral security agreements with data from an original survey and follow-up questions applied to a focus group of U.S. citizens with a Mexican American heritage and living in the U.S., but also a general survey with Mexican immigrants and U.S.-born Mexican Americans. The qualitative analysis traces the evolution of the U.S. war against cartels and counterterrorism discourse, while the focus group explores perceptions of security, sovereignty, human rights, civil liberties, racial profiling, and economic consequences within affected communities.
The findings indicate that designating cartels as FTOs expands the perceived legitimacy of security measures while increasing concerns over human rights, sovereignty, civil rights, racial profiling, diplomacy, and economic disruption. The thesis contributes to the literature on international relations focused on security by demonstrating how designating cartels as FTOs serve as a tool of state power, affecting international cooperation and, by consequence, domestic political and community dynamics. The conclusions underscore the need for greater consideration of community-level factors in setting security policies in the U.S., particularly among Mexican Americans when the policy relates to Mexico.
Recommended Citation
Garcia-Gomez, Jesus J., "Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations? How Mexican Americans Think About U.S. Security Policy" (2026). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6597
