U.S. designates Barrio 18 as foreign terrorist organization

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U.S. warships head to Venezuela to combat drug cartel threats

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The State Department announced on Tuesday it is designating Barrio 18 as a foreign terrorist organization, saying the gang has carried out attacks on officials, security personnel and civilians in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Barrio 18 is one of the largest gangs in the Northern Hemisphere, the U.S. State Department said in a release, adding that the designation “further demonstrates the Trump Administration’s unwavering commitment to dismantling cartels and gangs and ensuring the safety of the American people.”

More than a dozen groups have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations since the start of President Trump’s second term. In a February executive order, Mr. Trump declared eight drug cartels as terrorist groups, including the Sinaloa drug cartel, which is considered the largest drug trafficking organization in the world, and Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

The designation announced on Tuesday will place Barrio 18 on a list alongside those organizations and others like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. Previously, the designation was typically used for groups such as the Islamic State group or al Qaeda that use violence for political ends, rather than for crime rings like the cartels.

Barrio 18 was also named a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist.”

The Trump administration has used the foreign terrorist designation to justify multiple lethal strikes on boats allegedly carrying drugs, including at least two off the coast of Venezuela.  Several Democratic lawmakers have pushed back on the strikes, arguing that the administration hasn’t given a legal justification for using the military.

“The United States will continue to protect our nation by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding the violent and criminal activity of vicious gangs and drug cartels,” the State Department said Tuesday.  

The Associated Press

contributed to this report.

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Sarah Lynch Baldwin is a deputy managing editor of CBSNews.com. She helps lead national and breaking news coverage and shapes editorial workflows.

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