Canada Declares MS-13 and Six More Latin American Criminal Groups as Terrorist Organizations

The Government of Canada has taken a firm step in its strategy against drug trafficking by designating MS-13 and six other Latin American transnational criminal groups as terrorist organizations.

The list of terrorist groups with this terrorist designation are the MS-13, the Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the Michoacan Family, the Gulf Cartel, and the United Cartels.

David McGuinty, the Canadian Minister of Public Safety, made the announcement a day after the United States designated the MS-13 gang and other transnational criminal groups as global terrorist organizations.

SEE ALSO: U.S. State Department Labels MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and Mexican Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

These designated groups are organized crime groups that spread fear through extreme violence and are notorious for drug, human, and illegal arms trafficking. Minister David McGuinty.

La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) is a transnational criminal organization primarily operating out of El Salvador, with a significant presence in Honduras, Guatemala, and the United States. In El Salvador, MS-13 has evolved from its origins as a street gang into a criminal, economic, military, and political power. Canadian Government.

MS-13’s presence in El Salvador has significantly diminished thanks to President Bukele’s State of Exception, which enables stricter law enforcement measures, leading to mass arrests and a decline in gang-related activities across the country.

Listing these criminal groups as terrorist organizations grants Canadian authorities stronger legal tools to dismantle organized crime, including freezing assets, tracking finances, and launching more aggressive operations against them.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Vowed to protect Mexico’s national sovereignty as the U.S. intensified its crackdown on cartels in its territory.

Five of the seven transnational criminal organizations classified as terrorist organizations by the Canadian government are from Mexico.

“The people of Mexico, under no circumstances will accept interventions, interference, or any other act from abroad that is harmful to the integrity, independence, and sovereignty of the nation,” remarked Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum during a press conference.