The move, carrying out a January 20 executive order by US President Donald Trump, named Tren de Aragua in Venezuela, MS-13 in El Salvador and six groups based in Mexico. The designation was to be published in Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register, according to a notice Wednesday.
The “foreign terrorist organisation” label was unusual because it deploys a terrorist designation normally reserved for groups like al-Qaeda or Islamic State that use violence for political ends – not for money-focused crime rings such as the Latin American cartels.
The scope of the designation was not immediately clear. However it has raised speculation about possible US military action on foreign soil.
The cartels’ designation as terrorist groups “means they’re eligible for drone strikes” wrote tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has been given a prominent role in the Trump administration, on his social media platform X.
