Trump Hits Guatemalan Narco Clans with Terror Designations
Secretary of State Marco Rubio just announced that the Trump Administration is designating three Guatemalan drug trafficking organizations as terrorists for their deep ties to Mexican cartels and their role flooding the United States with deadly drugs.
“The Trump Administration is imposing terrorist designations on Los Lorenzanas, Los Huistas, and Los Mendoza,” Rubio posted. “These three Guatemalan groups have deep ties with Mexican cartels, helping to move and export illicit drugs to fund terrorism and criminal activity.”
Los Lorenzanas, one of Guatemala’s most powerful trafficking clans, was designated both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. The group is linked to widespread violence against civilians, government officials, and military forces. Los Huistas and Los Mendoza were designated Specially Designated Global Terrorists by the Treasury Department for providing material support to U.S.-designated Mexican cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG. These networks control key border corridors with Mexico and Honduras, moving cocaine, protecting shipments, and laundering profits through local businesses and political influence.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States will never stop fighting against violent narcoterrorists and their political enablers who flood our nation with deadly drugs,” Rubio added.
The designations freeze assets, cut off financing, and open the door to criminal prosecution for anyone providing material support. Officials say the move is part of a broader effort to dismantle the cartels and their partners in the region, protect American streets from illicit drugs, and stop foreign criminal groups from corrupting Guatemala’s institutions.
This is the latest concrete step by the Trump Administration to treat drug trafficking organizations and their facilitators as the national security threats they are.
