In brief
Following an executive order, the State Department plans to label major Latin American criminal groups as terrorist organizations, strengthening economic sanctions against them.
The Trump administration is ramping up its fight against organized crime by designating more than half a dozen Latin American criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations. This process, led by the State Department, follows President Trump's executive order aimed at combating major cartels deemed a national-security threat. Eight groups are expected to be targeted, though the final list is not yet public. Among those being named are the notorious Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels from Mexico, as well as the Tren de Aragua from Venezuela and MS-13, a gang with U.S. roots. The designations will empower the U.S. government to impose broad economic sanctions on these organizations and their affiliates, in line with the President's directive to ensure their "total elimination."
