SANTA TECLA, El Salvador — In a move underscoring its hardened stance on transnational crime, the Trump administration on Thursday formally designated El Salvador’s Barrio 18 street gang a foreign terrorist organization.
The designation places Barrio 18 alongside global extremist groups, granting U.S. authorities expanded powers to freeze assets, impose sanctions, and prosecute anyone providing support to the violent criminal network.
Officials said the gang’s history of extortion, kidnapping, and murders, both in Central America and U.S. cities, justified the extraordinary step. Washington cited its ties to organized drug trafficking operations.
Barrio 18, also known as the 18th Street Gang, originated in Los Angeles and subsequently spread throughout Central America. It rivals MS-13 and is considered one of the region’s deadliest groups.
The announcement marks the first time the United States has applied the foreign terrorist label to a street gang. Analysts say the decision could reshape U.S. law enforcement strategy abroad.
Human rights advocates, however, warned the designation may complicate humanitarian work in Central America, where aid groups often interact with communities under gang control to provide essential services.
Administration officials countered that the measure was necessary to protect U.S. citizens and weaken criminal groups driving migration and violence in the Northern Triangle.
The State Department confirmed that the designation took immediate effect, sending a sharp warning to both gang members and those enabling their operations in the United States or abroad.
In El Salvador, the Barrio 18’s Rise was marked by extortion rackets, targeted killings, and clashes with rival MS-13. Their turf wars left countless civilians trapped in cycles of intimidation.
Barrio 18’s violence extended into prisons, where inmates directed murders, kidnappings, and drug operations.
Currently, the gang’s presence in El Salvador is almost nonexistent. The Bukele administration, through the state of exception and territorial control plan, has nearly eradicated this criminal organization in the country.
