Overview

• The State Department on Tuesday labeled Barrio 18 a foreign terrorist organization, citing attacks on officials, security forces and civilians in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
• Barrio 18 was also named a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
• The listing puts the gang alongside MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and Mexican cartels including Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation, marking a shift from designations once focused on politically driven groups.
• The administration has used terrorism authorities to justify lethal strikes on suspected drug boats, including off Venezuela, a practice criticized by some Democratic lawmakers.
• El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has pursued a sweeping anti-gang crackdown and was publicly thanked by President Trump at the U.N., while the practical impact of the new U.S. designation in the region remains uncertain.