Trump to delay listing Mexican cartels as terrorist groups

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday in a tweet that he will hold off on designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

Trump said all work h been completed and he was statutorily rey to issue a declaration but h decided to delay at request of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obror.

re was immediate confirmation from Mexico, but government h pushed back against Trump’s plan, saying such a step by U.S. could le to violations of its sovereignty.

“All necessary work has been completed to declare Mexican Cartels terrorist organizations,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Statutorily we are rey to do so.”

“However, at request of a man who I like and respect, and has worked so well with us, President Andres Manuel @LopezObror— will will temporarily hold off on this designation.”

Under pressure from Trump’s threat to impose tariffs, Mexico has pressed thousands of national guard troops into service to help block Central American migrants from traveling through Mexico to reach U.S.

In place of designating cartels as terrorist outfits, Trump said U.S. and Mexico inste will “step up our joint efforts to deal decisively with se vicious and every-growing organizations.”

Trump h said in a rio interview just last week that he “absolutely” would move ahe with designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations, attributing American deaths to drug trafficking and or activity by cartels.

“I’ve been working on that for last 90 days,” Trump said in interview when host Bill O’Reilly asked wher such a designation would be forthcoming.

O’Reilly h asked if Trump would designate cartels “and start hitting m with drones and things like that?″

Trump replied: “I don’t want to say what I’m going to do, but y will be designated.”

Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard sought meetings with U.S. government officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Ebrard also said on Twitter that he would use diplomacy to “defend sovereignty.”

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