“Socalj” for Borderland Beat
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According to the New York Times, the Trump administration plans to designate more than a half-dozen criminal groups in Latin America as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), said five US officials with knowledge of the imminent action.
The Executive Order signed by President Trump on January 20, 2025, referred in general to cartels in Mexico. It also specifically named two gangs, Tren de Aragua, a group with roots in Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico and the United States and Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.
The gang more commonly known as MS-13 was founded in Los Angeles, California by Salvadoran immigrants in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s and expanded throughout El Salvador and other countries following criminal deportations. While heavily involved in extortion, human trafficking and violence, they play a lesser role in the international drug trade.
List of Terrorist Designations
Mexican Cartels
Sinaloa Cartel (CDS)
Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG)
Cartel de Noreste (CDN)
La Familia Michoacána (LFM)
Carteles Unidos (CU)
Colombian Cartel
Clan del Golfo
Gangs
Tren de Aragua (TdA)
Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)