JOHN KOUFOS: Trump’s ‘Shield of the Americas’ could help defend us from cartels

What happened: The U.S.-led "Shield of the Americas" initiative designated eight major criminal groups, including the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG and Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists. Brazil has not joined the coalition. Why it matters: The designation unlocks asset freezing, material support penalties and financial network disruption, and the initiative mandates intelligence sharing and military coordination among partner nations. The author says Brazil's abstention leaves cartels a significant safe haven.

The U.S.-led "Shield of the Americas" initiative designated eight major criminal groups, including the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG and Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists. Brazil has not joined the coalition.

The designation unlocks asset freezing, material support penalties and financial network disruption, and the initiative mandates intelligence sharing and military coordination among partner nations. The author says Brazil's abstention leaves cartels a significant safe haven.