State Department brief: administration pursuing cartel FTO designations and sanctions to curb fentanyl

Tommy Piggott, principal deputy spokesperson at the U.S. Department of State, told reporters at a briefing that the administration is taking steps to secure the U.S. border, including moves to designate certain cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and to impose sanctions aimed at disrupting the flow of fentanyl. "The main takeaway today after the brief are all the steps that we are taking to secure our border," Piggott said.

The designation of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations would, Piggott said, open "a range of tools" to allow the department and other agencies to "combat the flow of fentanyl and hold them accountable for their malign criminal activity." That characterization was offered at the briefing and was not accompanied by a named cartel list, a timetable, or supporting filings in the remarks.

Piggott also said, "Under president Trump, illegal border crossings are at historic lows, down 95% compared to last year." He credited what he called an "all of government approach" and referenced work by department leadership "under Secretary of State Marco Rubio," wording used in the briefing.

The briefing opened with an on-camera remark that "Spokesperson Tammy Bruce just finished another fantastic briefing here in the State Department Press Briefing Room," and concluded with a restatement of priorities. "At the state department, we are determined to help secure our border, keep the American people safe, and put America first," Piggott said.

The remarks in this article summarize statements made by Piggott at the briefing. The transcript did not specify which cartels would be designated, whether any specific sanctions actions had been finalized, or precise next steps and timelines. No formal legal filings or votes were announced during the briefing.