US designates Barrio 18 gang as foreign terrorist organization
Designation adds Barrio 18 to list of Latin American criminal groups labeled by Washington as terrorists, signaling expanded anti-gang efforts
MEXICO CITY — The Trump administration on Tuesday designated the Barrio 18 gang as a foreign terrorist organization, the latest move against Latin American criminal groups designated in recent months.
Barrio 18 is largely based in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, and originated in the United States as a Los Angeles street gang formed by young Salvadoran immigrants who sought to protect themselves. After many members were deported from the United States to Central America, the gang expanded and gained power across the region, where it has been blamed for terrorizing communities with violence, extortion and recruitment.
In El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele has pursued an aggressive crackdown on gangs, jailing more than 1% of the population on suspected gang ties, a policy that has sharply reduced crime but drawn criticism over due process and civil rights.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the designation demonstrates the administration's commitment to dismantling cartels and gangs and ensuring the safety of the American people.
Bukele has long described gang members as terrorists and has touted the Terrorism Confinement Center, a megaprison that houses some detainees. Earlier this year the prison held about 200 Venezuelan deportees as part of a bilateral agreement with the United States.
Barrio 18 joins a growing list of Latin American groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations, including its rival MS-13 as well as the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and Mexican cartels such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
It remains unclear what the FTO designation will mean for local law enforcement and cross-border cooperation, and whether sanctions will hinder efforts against the gang's criminal activity in the region.
The move also comes as Washington has expanded maritime operations in the Caribbean, firing on boats it says were carrying drugs into the United States; a number of people have been killed in those strikes.
Analysts note that, although FTO designations can target political groups, many Latin American gangs designated in recent years operate primarily as criminal enterprises, focusing on drug trafficking, extortion and other crimes.
As the United States broadens its anti-gang strategy in the region, officials cautioned that the practical effect of the designation depends on enforcement and regional cooperation.