Trump administration designates Barrio 18 gang as foreign terrorist organization

The Trump administration has designated the Barrio 18 gang as a foreign terrorist organization, joining other Latin American criminal groups receiving the designation in recent months

By MEGAN JANETSKY Associated Press
September 23, 2025, 1:29 PM

MEXICO CITY -- The Trump administration Tuesday designated the Barrio 18 gang as a foreign terrorist organization, joining other Latin American criminal groups receiving the designation in recent months.

Barrio 18, largely based in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, originated in the United States as a street gang in Los Angeles created by young Salvadoran immigrants as a way to protect themselves. When many of their members were deported from the U.S. to El Salvador, the gang expanded and gained power across Central America, where it continues to terrorize communities.

In recent years, the gang has been dealt a powerful blow by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who has waged war on the country's gangs, imprisoning more than 1% of El Salvador's population for alleged gang ties with little evidence or access to due process. That has sharply dropped crime rates in El Salvador, but also fueled accusations of mass human rights abuses by the government.

In a statement on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the designation “further demonstrates the Trump administration’s unwavering commitment to dismantling cartels and gangs and ensuring the safety of the American people.”

More:
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/trump-administration-designates-barrio-18-gang-foreign-terrorist-125864400