U.S. Blocks Over 10,000 Narco-Terrorists As Terror Watchlist Jumps by 85,000 In 2025

U.S. intelligence agencies blocked more than 10,000 individuals with ties to narco-terrorism from entering the country in 2025 and added over 85,000 additional suspects to the federal terror watchlist, according to U.S. officials familiar with the data.

Counterterrorism officials told Fox News Digital that intelligence gathered by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence was shared with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, enabling authorities to prevent terror-linked cartel and gang members from accessing the United States.

“President Trump gave the order to secure the homeland, and ODNI’s National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) delivered,” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Fox News Digital. “In 2025, intelligence shared by our team to federal, state and local partners stopped more than 10,000 persons with connections to terrorism from accessing our country.”

According to Gabbard, intelligence produced by the National Counterterrorism Center has fueled thousands of successful enforcement actions against cartels and criminal gangs, directly resulting in the arrest and removal of dangerous individuals from U.S. soil.

“Thousands of successful actions against cartels and gangs are driven by intelligence from the National Counterterrorism Center, whose integrated intelligence, analysis, and timely response to terrorist threats have directly led to the apprehension and removal of thousands of criminals from U.S. soil,” Gabbard said.

She credited President Trump and NCTC personnel for the results, adding, “Thanks to President Trump for his commitment to securing our nation, and thanks to the men and women of NCTC for their vigilance and dedication to keeping the American people safe.”

A senior counterterrorism official told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump’s decision to designate drug cartels as terrorist organizations significantly expanded the intelligence community’s ability to target them.

The official said the designation allowed counterterrorism authorities to “leverage the tools of the intelligence community,” leading directly to the denial of entry for more than 10,000 cartel- or gang-linked individuals in 2025.

Those denials included visa revocations, arrests, deportations, and active investigations, the official said.

In addition, the National Counterterrorism Center added more than 85,000 new identities to the terrorist database, information that feeds directly into the FBI’s Terror Watchlist and is distributed to law enforcement agencies nationwide.

“Had we had a capability like this pre-9/11, the hijackers wouldn’t have been able to come into our country in the first place,” the official told Fox News Digital. “We have denied 10,000 narco-terrorists from coming into the country — from every setting foot in America — which is a huge success.”

The official said career intelligence professionals believe the previous administration allowed suspected cartel and gang members to move freely between Mexico, South America, and other regions without consequence.

“But because of watchlisting work and designation, these 10,000 have been denied access, and another 85,000 have been put on the watchlist. These people will also be denied access,” the official said. “Cartels prior to the Trump administration were killing 100,000 Americans per year due to fentanyl alone, so taking them off the playing field is saving American lives.”

By contrast, the official said that under the Biden administration, authorities often had to “wait for the individuals to come into the country and then commit another crime” before taking action.

While narco-terrorism remains a top focus, officials stressed that traditional terrorist threats have not disappeared.

“The tragic thing is that after 9/11, NCTC developed a comprehensive set of tools to block traditional terrorists from coming into the country,” the official said. “The Biden administration did not use those tools. And it is still a threat because the border was wide open for four years.”

According to the official, fewer than five traditional terrorists attempted to enter the U.S. during the Trump administration, with those individuals trying to arrive via commercial flights rather than the southern border. All were denied entry.

“Don’t even try,” the official said.

The official added that NCTC continues to monitor and counter threats tied to cartels and gangs, al Qaeda, Iranian networks, and ISIS.

“We also have gotten the inclusion of Antifa as a terrorist organization,” the official said. “We are looking at foreign ties to that organization as well.”

Those investigations, the official said, are ongoing.