The U.S. State Department has designated the Barrio 18 street gang as a foreign terrorist organization, expanding Washington’s campaign against transnational gangs and cartels.
“Today, the Department of State is designating Barrio 18 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT),” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a Sept. 23 statement.
Rubio called Barrio 18 “one of the largest gangs in our hemisphere,” saying it has carried out attacks against security forces, officials, and civilians in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. He pledged to cut off the group’s funding streams, calling the move part of the Trump administration’s “unwavering commitment to dismantling cartels and gangs and ensuring the safety of the American people.”…
US Designates Barrio 18 as Foreign Terrorist Organization, Joining Tren de Aragua, MS-13, Others
