US labels 8 drug cartels as terrorist groups as part of Trump border crackdown

The Trump administration is formally designating eight Latin American crime organisations as “foreign terrorist organisations”, upping its pressure on cartels operating in the US and on anyone aiding them.

The move, carrying out a January 20 executive order by US President Donald Trump, names Tren de Aragua in Venezuela, MS-13 in El Salvador and others.

The designation will be published in Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register, according to a notice on Wednesday.

The Republican president has made securing the US-Mexico border among his top priorities, vowing to carry out mass deportations, sending active duty troops to the border and reaching deals with some countries to take in more migrants.

The “foreign terrorist organisation” label is unusual because it deploys a terrorist designation normally reserved for groups like al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group that use violence for political ends – not for money-focused crime rings such as the Latin American cartels.

The Trump administration argues that the international connections and operations of the groups – including drug trafficking, migrant smuggling and violent pushes to extend their territory – warrant the designation.