In February 2025, the State Department designated six Mexican cartels and transnational criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations. More than 18 months later, multinational companies operating in Mexico are still waiting for a major corporate case to clarify how the DOJ will apply this new framework and, critically, where routine business activity could create terrorism-related exposure. In the meantime, companies are making high-stakes decisions about cartel contact before the DOJ has clearly defined the boundaries of that exposure. In a guest article, Barnes & Thornburg's Scott Hulsey and Jeff Lehtman, partners, and Maria Carpizo, senior staff attorney, review recent enforcement actions and explore the practical realities of cartel contact, self-reporting considerations and best practices for reducing organizational risk when doing business in Mexico. See “The Impact on Latin America of Designating Cartels As FTOs” (Jan. 14, 2026).