President Trump’s Cartel Crackdown Leads to Arrests of Cartel and Gang Members

Articles | August 26, 2025 | by Catholics for Catholics

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“We are just getting started,” said the National Counterterrorism Center’s director.

By Catholics for Catholics

The National Counterterrorism Center recently arrested several cartel associates, as well as a member of a dangerous international street gang, according to The Daily Wire.

Border Patrol agents, with the help of NCTC intelligence, were able to find and arrest Jonathan Ezequiel Portillo Beltran, who is a member of the MS-13 gang. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence told The Daily Wire that he was arrested on August 14th.

“Our team works to ensure law enforcement officers have the operational intelligence they need when encountering suspected terrorists like Beltran. Thanks to this work, the days of terrorists living freely within our borders are over,” NCTC Director Joe Kent said. 

Information provided by Kent’s office has also helped in the arrests of suspected cartel members. The arrests included Edgar Martin Rosales Montoya, a Sinaloa Cartel affiliate who was apprehended on July 24 after illegally crossing into the United States, Luis Alberto Davila Salazar, a member of the Los Zetas Cartel who was arrested on July 11 as he illegally entered the United States. In addition, Edgar Omar Botello Rangel, a member of the Gulf Cartel was arrested on July 21 while attempting to enter the United States. 

🚨JUST IN: Dangerous member of the violent drug gang MS-13 was recently arrested thanks to intelligence provided by the National Counterterrorism Center
(NCTC)

The NCTC, which operates under National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, provided intelligence that helped Border… pic.twitter.com/PceVneFjlN

— SANTINO (@MichaelSCollura) August 26, 2025

Kent said that the National Counterterrorism Center “stepped up to surge resources and personnel to counter terrorist cartels and gangs” in response to President Donald Trump’s executive actions to designate drug cartels as terrorist organizations. 

“Because of President Trump’s designation and NCTC and Law Enforcement coordination efforts, fentanyl deaths are at an all-time low,” he said. “Our work is not done; we are just getting started.”