The Trump administration designated the Barrio 18 gang as a foreign terrorist organization on Tuesday, joining other Latin American criminal groups receiving the designation in recent months.
Barrio 18, largely based in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, originated in the United States as a street gang in Los Angeles created by young Salvadoran immigrants as a way to protect themselves. When many of their members were deported from the U.S. to El Salvador, the gang expanded and gained power across Central America, where it continues to terrorize communities.
