U.S. Designates Eight South American Gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations
Several South American criminal gangs are now designated as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) by the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the designation Wednesday February 19, publishing in the Federal Register on February 20.
This comes nearly a month after Trump signed an executive order aiming to designate “Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorists.”
The Department of State designated the following gangs as terrorist organizations: “Tren de Aragua, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Cartel de Sinaloa, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, Carteles Unidos, Cartel del Noreste, Cartel del Golfo, and La Nueva Familia Michoacana.”
By legal definition, these gangs present a serious threat to U.S. national security.
One of the listed gangs, Tren de Aragua, has caused much destruction throughout the United States. Among their crimes include taking over apartment complexes, harassing, thieving from, and extorting tenants, along with human trafficking, and drug smuggling.
President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum spoke Wednesday morning on the designation of foreign terrorist organizations by the United States:
“If they make this decree to investigate even more in the United States the money laundering and the criminal groups that operate in the United States, that carry out those drug sales, it’s very good,” she said, according to the National Review.
Yet, Sheinbaum warned: “What we do not accept is the violation of our sovereignty.”
A military attack against a gang on Mexican land could potentially violate Mexico’s sovereignty according to Sheinbaum.
Elon Musk alluded to potential actions taken toward the listed gangs due to their new FTO designations:
It is currently unknown whether the designation of South American gangs as FTOs will lead to any upcoming military action in the countries where they are prominent.
