In February 2025, Canada listed seven transnational organized crime groups, primarily Mexican cartels, as terrorist entities, noting “their drug trafficking activities are a risk to national security and must be stopped.” In a follow-up media interview, senior RCMP officers confirmed that all listed groups were active in Canada and “very much involved in crime impacting Canada.”
The move sparked significant debate. Critics argued that terrorism is ideologically motivated, seeking political or social change through fear, whereas organized crime is driven by profit and pragmatism. While cartels use terrorist-like violence, it is typically to protect markets, eliminate rivals, or deter state interference — not to alter political structures. In this view, cartels and terrorists occupy different ends of the threat spectrum.
