Arizona voters—including residents of Buckeye—will decide in 2026 whether violent drug cartels should be officially designated as terrorist organizations under state law—a move Republican leaders say will give law enforcement expanded powers to treat cartel members as hostile actors rather than ordinary criminals.
The state Legislature has passed House Concurrent Resolution 2055, sponsored by Arizona Speaker of the House Steve Montenegro (R-Goodyear), placing the measure on the general election ballot. The resolution directs Arizona to recognize violent, organized cartels as terrorist groups and empowers the Arizona Department of Homeland Security to use "all available tools" to disrupt them, according to Montenegro.
“These cartels run brutal, organized operations that traffic women and children, flood our streets with fentanyl, and kill without consequence,” said Speaker Montenegro. “Arizona is on the frontlines of a war that Washington ignored until President Trump took action. This resolution gives the Trump Administration another tool to defend our state, uphold the rule of law, and protect innocent lives. By sending it to the ballot, we’re putting the decision where it belongs—with the people.”
The Arizona measure, while symbolic in some ways, is designed to align the state’s legal posture with President Trump’s federal strategy, which, since returning to office, has formally designated multiple cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), according to Arizona House Republicans.
The resolution's co-sponsor, House Majority Leader Michael Carbone, a Republican from Buckeye, told InBuckeye it's needed to protect his district.
“Drug cartels are operating as terrorist organizations—and Arizona has every right to defend itself,” Carbone said. “These groups are killing Arizonans with fentanyl, exploiting children, and driving violent crime across our border. This resolution gives our state the authority to act and gives voters the power to support that effort. It’s a necessary step to protect our communities and hold these violent networks accountable.”
Under the proposed law:
-
Drug cartels would be defined as formal or informal groups engaging in human smuggling, drug trafficking, or acts of terrorism under Arizona statute.
-
The state’s homeland security department would be empowered to act against these cartels using all tools within its jurisdiction.
-
The legislation includes a caveat that it does not create new protections for non-citizens seeking asylum.
-
"Threats" are broadly defined to include any danger to constitutional rights, public health, or general welfare.
Legal concerns
Currently, cartel members are prosecuted under criminal law, with the same due process protections as any accused individual. But terrorist designations at the federal level allow for enhanced enforcement tools, including treating support of these groups as a national security threat rather than just a criminal matter, according to experts.
One legal scholar warns that the measure’s language could be too broad. Lynn Marcus, a law professor and immigration clinic director at the University of Arizona, says the resolution could classify even migrant parents as terrorists.
“The proposed definition covers much more than drug trafficking. It includes activities like ‘human smuggling’—which could apply to parents bringing their children across the border without inspection," Marcus said. "That would make them, by definition, members of a ‘drug cartel’ and thus a ‘terrorist organization.’”
Marcus also noted that federal immigration law already includes its own system of classifying terrorist groups, based on intent and political violence, which differs significantly from Arizona’s proposed definition.
Michael McDaniel can be reached at [email protected]. We invite our readers to submit their civil comments or opinions on this or any issue. Email [email protected].
