White House expands terror label to Latin American crime groups

The White House announced it will intensify actions against organized crime in Latin America, applying the same counter‑terrorism tools to drug cartels and other criminal networks. Spokesperson Olivia Wales told The Washington Post that the United States will not distinguish between ideologically motivated terrorists and profit‑driven criminal groups, saying, "Seguiremos neutralizando a cualquier grupo que represente una amenaza, desde cárteles que han causado daños masivos hasta redes yihadistas".

The administration has newly listed more than a dozen Latin American groups as foreign terrorist organizations, including the Tren de Aragua. Its leader, Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as “Niño Guerrero,” was identified as a top wanted criminal from Venezuela. Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Patrick Weaver said the operation against him "envía un mensaje claro a América Latina. No hay refugio para narcoterroristas en nuestro hemisferio." The policy shift broadens the legal basis for U.S. security actions abroad.

The move signals a more aggressive stance toward transnational crime, linking it directly to the U.S. counter‑terrorism framework and allowing expanded use of defense and security tools outside the United States.