The U.S. State Department announced the designation of the Mexican drug cartels Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT), according to a State Department statement.

The department said both cartels are violent narco-terrorist organizations that have carried out numerous attacks on U.S. citizens, Mexican security forces, and civilians.

The State Department emphasized that the decision is aimed at combating the activities of drug cartels, restricting their access to financial resources, and cutting off sources of income used to finance brutal crimes.

Once the decision takes effect, the assets of the designated organizations and individuals associated with them that are located in the United States or under the control of U.S. citizens will be blocked. U.S. citizens are also prohibited from conducting financial transactions with them.