The US administration has taken the unusual step of officially designating eight drug cartels in Latin America as terrorist groups in a bid to reduce their influence

The notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, the brutal MS-13 organization, and half a dozen Mexican cartels have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the State Department. The announcement — dated Feb.

The federal government designated seven criminal organizations — including cartels and street gangs — as terrorists on Thursday, delivering on a promise made to U.S. President Donald Trump in hopes of staving off economically devastating tariffs.