Overview of Latin American crime groups designated by US as terrorist organisations

The United States government has formally designated eight Latin American organized crime groups that also operate in the US to be “foreign terrorist organizations.”

The move, carrying out a January 20 executive order by President Donald Trump, names Tren de Aragua in Venezuela, MS-13 in El Salvador and six groups based in Mexico. The Trump administration is applying a “terrorist” designation that’s normally reserved for groups like the Islamic State group or al-Qaida that use violence for political ends — not for money-focused crime rings such as the Latin American cartels. The aim is to increase pressure on the groups and anyone who the US sees as aiding them.

This type of designation by a major political power like the US often causes a ripple effect, with other countries following suit in the future with similar decisions, causing major difficulties internationally to the group. 

The AP agency provides an in-depth glance into the background of the eight Latin American drug cartels that have been labelled as foreign terrorist organizations by the US:

Sinaloa Cartel — Mexico

The Sinaloa Cartel, in its various forms, is the oldest criminal organization in Mexico, with origins tracing back to the 1970s. It operates as a vast criminal conglomerate, functioning as an umbrella for multiple groups, primarily based in the rugged mountains of the Sinaloa state in northwestern Mexico. The cartel maintains a stronghold over the western section of the US-Mexico border, exerting significant influence and control in the region.

Utilizing an extensive and sophisticated smuggling network, Sinaloa moves a wide range of drugs across continents through various means, including boats, aircraft, migrants, and underground cross-border tunnels. It is widely regarded as the most corrupting criminal entity in Mexico. One of the most notable examples of its reach was the case of Genaro García Luna, Mexico’s former secretary of public security, who had once been celebrated as the mastermind behind Mexico’s war on drug cartels. However, in 2023, a New York jury found him guilty of accepting millions of dollars in bribes to shield the powerful and violent Sinaloa Cartel. As a result, he was sentenced to over 38 years in a US prison.

The power dynamics within the Sinaloa Cartel were thrown into turmoil following the July arrest of its senior leader, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. His detention triggered a prolonged internal struggle for dominance between his loyalists and the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the cartel’s most infamous former leader, who is currently serving a life sentence in the United States.

In recent years, one of the cartel’s most profitable enterprises has been the large-scale production of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. This drug is between 50 and 100 times more potent than morphine, and as little as two milligrams—roughly the size of five to seven grains of salt—can be lethal to an adult. The widespread distribution of fentanyl has fueled a severe public health crisis in the US, contributing to tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually, many of which occur unintentionally. The cartel sources its precursor chemicals from China, manufactures the drug in Mexico, and smuggles it into the US through its well-established trafficking routes.

Gulf Cartel and Northeast Cartel — Mexico

The Gulf Cartel and the Northeast Cartel control drug, weapon, money, and human smuggling operations along the eastern stretch of the US-Mexico border, which serves as the most direct route from Central and South America into the United States. In the late 1990s, former Gulf Cartel leader Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, now imprisoned, recruited Mexican military personnel to create the Zetas, a brutal enforcement arm that later broke away to form its own cartel. The Northeast Cartel, a successor to the Zetas, is primarily based in Nuevo Laredo, the busiest commercial port on the US-Mexico border.

Jalisco New Generation Cartel — Mexico

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) emerged in 2011 from a violent faction known as the "Zeta Killers" (a reference to the dangerous group, "Zetas") and quickly expanded across Mexico through alliances with local gangs. Known for its extreme brutality, CJNG has directly attacked Mexican authorities with explosive-dropping drones, IEDs, and even attempted to assassinate Mexico City’s police chief. Led by Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, the cartel is a major player in drug trafficking, distributing massive amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl across all 50 US states.

La Nueva Familia Michoacana and United Cartels — Mexico

These organized crime groups in west-central Mexico not only produce synthetic drugs but also pose a threat to the US due to their control over the lucrative avocado trade. Security analyst David Saucedo highlights that Michoacán, which exports $2.8 billion worth of avocados, has seen criminal groups extorting growers, manipulating prices, and even threatening US inspectors conducting pest checks.

Tren de Aragua — Venezuela

Tren de Aragua, a violent organized crime group, originated in a Venezuelan prison over a decade ago and has since expanded across the Americas, from Chile to the United States, taking advantage of the mass migration of Venezuelans fleeing economic and political turmoil. While it initially focused on drug trafficking, the group now profits primarily from migrant smuggling, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and forced labor, using extreme violence such as decapitations and burying victims alive to instill fear. US authorities warn that Tren de Aragua has infiltrated criminal networks in South America, launders money through cryptocurrencies, and is now a growing threat in US cities, with Trump and his allies highlighting it as a symbol of dangers linked to undocumented immigration.

Mara Salvatrucha — El Salvador

MS-13, a violent street gang, became a focal point of Trump’s immigration rhetoric during his first presidency. It originally formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s within refugee and immigrant communities from El Salvador’s civil war. In the US, the gang is notorious for brutal violence and involvement in street-level drug sales. After deported members spread MS-13 to El Salvador, it rapidly expanded but has since been severely weakened under President Nayib Bukele’s aggressive crackdown, which has led to over 80,000 arrests and freed San Salvador of its former reputation as the "world’s murder capital."

By Nazrin Sadigova