35 West

In February 2025, the State Department designated six Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) as part of a broader push from the Trump administration taking aim at organized crime in the Western Hemisphere. While U.S. rhetoric has continually stressed the threat posed by Mexican cartels, an overlooked component in this narrative is the fact that U.S. guns comprise the overwhelming majority of cartel arsenals. Still, the use of FTO designations opens new avenues for prosecuting firearms traffickers, most notably through the use of material support for terrorism charges.

In this episode, Henry Ziemer sits down with Jake Steisel, Senior Staff Attorney at Global Action on Gun Violence. Together, they analyze trends in U.S. firearms trafficking dynamics, as well as the legal implications of recent FTO designations and recent indictments of suspected gun traffickers. They also discuss the steps the United States and Mexico can take together to curb the supply of weapons to cartels.

When faced with President Trump’s economic pressure, most U.S. allies have fallen into line. Canada bucked the trend and stood firm. This week, Chris Hernandez-Roy and Diego Marroquin Bitar are joined by State of Play host, Will Todman, to discuss if Canada can withstand U.S. pressure, what lies ahead, and what U.S.-Canada tensions mean for the future of free trade in North America.

Christopher Gundermann, Hugh Grant-Chapman, and Diego Marroquín Bitar, "Understanding President Trump’s New Tariffs on Canadian Imports," CSIS, July 21, 2026.

Diego Marroquín Bitar and Juan Carlos Baker Pineda, "Inside the Mechanics of the 2026 USMCA Review," CSIS, October 27, 2025.

Diego Marroquin Bitar, Christopher Hernandez-Roy, and Earl Anthony Wayne, "USMCA Review 2026," CSIS, August 18, 2025.

On July 1, the United States, Mexico, and Canada sat down to decide the future of their trade agreement. Mexico and Canada said yes, but the United States said no to the agreement at least in its current form. The agreement didn't end that day, but instead triggered a cycle of annual reviews that could run for the next 10 years.

In this episode, Diego Marroquín Bitar sits down with Juan Carlos Baker, resident fellow with the Georgetown Americas Institute and one of the architects of the original USMCA. Together, they discuss the future of trilateral trade, recent U.S. tariff announcements, and the prospects of reaching an interim agreement before the end of the year.

In this episode of 35 West, guest host Juliana Rubio, associate director of the CSIS Americas Program, is joined by Sergio Guzmán, co-founder and director of Colombia Risk Analysis, to discuss Colombia’s 2026 presidential election and the transition ahead. They examine Abelardo de la Espriella’s narrow victory over Iván Cepeda and what the result reveals about Colombia’s polarized political landscape. The conversation also explores De la Espriella’s hardline security platform, the future of the 2016 peace agreement, concerns from civil society, the economic agenda facing the incoming administration, and how a new government in Bogotá could reshape relations with Washington, Venezuela, and the region.

In this episode, Diego Marroquín Bitar is joined by William Alan Reinsch, senior adviser and Scholl Chair emeritus with the CSIS Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business, and Scott Miller, senior mentor of CSIS’ Executive Education. Together, following the July 1, 2026, USMCA review deadline, they discuss the U.S. decision not to renew and the future of the USMCA.