Austin Cope, Oct. 29, 2025
Companies with potential ties to Latin American cartels should be extra cautious as the Trump administration targets the region, a former DOJ official tells GIR.
In an interview with GIR, George Turner, who left his role as associate deputy attorney general in the DOJ’s national security division in January, said the designation of Latin American cartels as foreign terrorist organisations (FTOs) creates additional risks for corporate criminal and civil liability.
As the Trump administration focuses on alleged Tren de Aragua activity in the region and ramps up political and military pressure on Venezuela’s government, corporate enforcement is also likely to increase, said Turner, who joined Jones Day’s white-collar and investigations practice in New York last week.
“I think it is reasonable and prudent for corporate actors to expect aggressive enforcement activity,” he said.
