The Honorable Marco Rubio
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Rubio,
As grieving United States citizens—parents, spouses, siblings, children, and survivors—we write to you carrying the excruciating pain of losing loved ones to the brutal violence of Mexican drug cartels. These tragedies have left us shattered, haunted by the knowledge of our loved ones’ unconscionable suffering and the milestones they will never see.
Some of us lost family members in broad daylight, family members who survived attacks so brutal they made headlines around the world. On November 4, 2019, three American mothers and their 14 children were ambushed by the Juárez Cartel and its armed wing La Línea near the United States-Mexico border.[1] Innocent victims; wrong place, wrong time. One mother and her children, still alive after the barrage of gunfire, were killed when their car was set on fire. Thousands of bullets were fired at our family. Overall, nine Americans were killed, six of them children. Those who survived, many suffering from gunshot wounds, were forced to walk nearly eight miles for help.
After reviewing the evidence, a federal judge in North Dakota found that the November 2019 attack constituted an act of international terrorism, intended to intimidate and coerce a civilian population and to influence government policy through violence.[2]
These are our stories. American stories of cartel violence.
Others among us have waited decades for justice. In 1985, DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by members of the Sinaloa Cartel in one of the most brazen attacks ever on a United States official abroad.[3] His murder inspired a new generation of public servants to answer the call, take the fight to the cartels, and ensure that no family has to suffer the same fate.
We cannot bring our loved ones back. But we can speak up. We can fight for justice, not just for our families, but for every American harmed by cartel violence. We can weaken the cartels and their support networks. And this is why we are urging the State Department to expand its designation of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (“FTOs”) to include the Juárez Cartel and its armed wing La Línea.
Your designation of eight drug cartels as FTOs, consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order, was a bold and historic step towards keeping Americans safe and the total elimination of cartels.
We have already seen these tools used to hold cartel criminals and their supporters accountable. In May, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two leaders of the Cártel del Noreste, responsible for procuring weapons and ammunition for cartel violence.[4] Federal prosecutors in Southern California filed narco-terrorism charges against leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and federal prosecutors in Southern Texas filed narco-terrorism charges against individuals for allegedly conspiring to provide material support—U.S. currency—to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación.[5] Additional FTO designations will help equip our families and federal agencies with stronger tools to cut off cartel funding, increase international pressure, and bring perpetrators to justice.
Mexican cartels profit from death and spread fear across our border. According to the DEA’s 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment, fentanyl and other deadly drugs trafficked by cartels are responsible for the deaths of more than 52,000 Americans annually.[6] The cartels’ criminal enterprises also extend to human smuggling, trafficking, and extortion, turning American cities into zones of fear and lawlessness.[7] At the border, law enforcement officers face an evolving warzone, including shootouts and the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).[8]
This is not just about our families, it is about keeping Americans safe and getting justice for all American victims and ensuring that no American is left behind. We want to prevent our fellow citizens from ever experiencing the pain and loss we have faced.
We are grateful for the strong actions you have already taken to combat drug cartels. We ask you to designate the Juárez Cartel and its armed wing La Línea as FTOs, and keep sending a clear message that the United States will not tolerate the murder of innocent Americans or the terrorization of our communities.
Sincerely,
Geneva “Mika” Camarena
Myrna Camarena
Adriana Jones
Melissa Conklin
Devin Langford
Kylie Langford