‘Terrorists’: Trump administration targets eight Latin gangs – Washington Examiner
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has officially designated eight Latin American cartels and transnational criminal organizations as terrorist entities. This decision aligns with former President Donald TrumpS directive aimed at altering the classifications of such groups. The designated organizations include the Tren de Aragua from Venezuela, the notorious Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) founded by Salvadoran immigrants in Los Angeles, and multiple mexican cartels such as Cártel de Sinaloa, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, among others. Rubio emphasized that these groups pose notable threats to the safety of Americans and regional stability. By classifying them as foreign terrorist organizations, U.S. law enforcement gains increased authority to target the assets and operations of these entities. This move is part of a broader agenda that highlights issues related to immigration and cross-border crime as focal points in Trump’s approach to security leading up to the 2024 presidential race.
Rubio names eight Latin cartels as terrorist organizations
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declared eight primarily Latin-based cartels and transnational criminal organizations as terrorist organizations, following through on President Donald Trump’s promise to change the classification.
The State Department announced Thursday morning that eight primarily Mexican-based crime rings, as well as Venezuelan and Salvadoran groups, would be identified as foreign terrorist organizations or specially designated global terrorists.
“As President Trump said in Executive Order 14157, cartels and other transnational organizations ‘threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere,’” Rubio said in a statement.
“The Department of State announces the designation of Tren de Aragua, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Cártel de Sinaloa, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel), and Cárteles Unidos as FTOs and SDGTs,” Rubio said.
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Tren de Aragua is a Venezuelan-based gang that grew out of a prison and has since spread across South America and into the U.S., while MS-13 was formed in the Los Angeles area by Salvadoran citizens three decades ago and now has a presence in the U.S. and El Salvador.
The six other gangs are all based in various parts of Mexico and are heavily involved in the smuggling and trafficking of people across the border, as well as moving drugs, guns, and money over the border.
On his first day in office, Trump took a dozen executive actions on immigration, including authorizing Rubio to move forward with designating certain cross-border criminal organizations as terrorist groups.
By designating these eight groups as terrorist entities, law enforcement nationwide will have greater tools to target members of the groups and their finances.
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All property and assets of the newly designated groups that are in the U.S. or in possession of a U.S. person are blocked from being accessed or distributed, disabling group members from carrying out financial transactions to parties within or outside the country.
Trump made “migrant crime” a major issue in the 2024 presidential race and spoke to voters about illegal immigrants who either snuck into the U.S. from Mexico or were apprehended by Border Patrol and then released and went on to victimize Americans or other immigrants.
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