Ali on the designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
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Ali on the designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations

March 4, 2025 KCBS
Headshot of Javed Ali in Weill Hall's 2nd floor hallway

Javed Ali, Ford School professor, explained the impact of designations of cartels like MS 13 and Tren de Aragua as foreign terror organizations and noted that "were official going back to February 20th." Ali said "The US government should have done this a long time ago" because of the power it gives the US to "put more pressure on any group designated as a foreign terrorist group."

Headshot of Javed Ali

Faculty Expert

Javed Ali

Associate Professor of Practice
Ali is a former senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, with over 20 years of professional experience in national security and intelligence issues in Washington, D.C. He served in the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he also held senior positions on joint duty assignments at the National Intelligence Council, the National Counterterrorism Center, and the National Security Council.