[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
Analysis Washington’s New War on Terror The U.S. designated eight Latin American organized crime groups as international terrorist organizations. Osborn-Catherine-foreign-policy-columnist15 Catherine Osborn By Catherine Osborn , the writer of Foreign Policy ’s weekly Latin America Brief. A sign for Camp Justice, where military commissions are held, is seen within the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base on Sept. 7, 2021. A sign for Camp Justice, where military commissions are held, is seen within the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base on Sept. 7, 2021. Paul Handley/AFP via Getty Images My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In U.S. Foreign Policy United States Catherine Osborn February 21, 2025, 1:07 PM Comment icon View Comments ( 0 ) The U.S. government designated eight Latin American organized crime groups as international terrorist organizations on Thursday. They include six Mexico-based groups, Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, and Central America’s MS-13. Trump’s Second Term Ongoing reports and analysis Trump has repeatedly warned about the dangers posed by such groups. But organized crime experts caution against terrorist designations. The U.S. government designated eight Latin American organized crime groups as international terrorist organizations on Thursday. They include six Mexico-based groups, Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, and Central America’s MS-13. Trending Articles What It Means for Europe to Go It Alone Europe and NATO are facing an existential crisis as the Trump administration aims a wrecking ball at trans-Atlantic… Powered By Advertisement What It Means for Europe to Go It Alone X Trump’s Second Term Ongoing reports and analysis Trump has repeatedly warned about the dangers posed by such groups. But organized crime experts caution against terrorist designations. For at least some of the groups, such a designation seems disproportionate. Tren de Aragua is most active outside the United States, said InSight Crime ’s Mike LaSusa, who tracks the group . On U.S. soil, its limited presence mostly targets the Venezuelan migrant community—“nothing that is threatening sort of general public security here in the U.S.,” he said. Furthermore, terrorist designations open the door to unilateral U.S. military action against the crime groups. Unilateral steps “would drastically worsen security because they would be a big obstacle to cooperation,” said Eduardo Guerrero of Mexican consultancy Lantia. “If Mexico is not participating in security policies to combat Mexico-based organized crime, it’s not going to be very effective.” Read more in today’s Latin America Brief: Bolsonaro Charged With Plotting Coup This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump administration . Follow along here . My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In U.S. Foreign Policy United States Catherine Osborn Catherine Osborn is the writer of Foreign Policy ’s weekly Latin America Brief. She is a print and radio journalist based in Rio de Janeiro. X: @cculbertosborn Read More On Drugs & Crime | Terrorism | U.S. Foreign Policy | United States | Venezuela Join the Conversation Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription. Already a subscriber? Log In . Subscribe Subscribe View 0 Comments Join the Conversation Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now. Subscribe Subscribe Not your account? Log out View 0 Comments Join the Conversation Please follow our comment guidelines , stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs. You are commenting as . Change your username | Log out Change your username: Username I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required) Confirm CANCEL Confirm your username to get started. The default username below has been generated using the first name and last initial on your FP subscriber account. Usernames may be updated at any time and must not contain inappropriate or offensive language. Username I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required) Confirm
