United States Designated 21 Latin American Groups
The government has added numerous criminal organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean to its terrorist list.
Updated on Sept. 19, 2026 in Terrorism
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The United States government has officially designated 21 criminal groups from Latin America and the Caribbean as terrorist organizations. This policy aims to combat drug trafficking and violence against civilians by imposing strict financial sanctions.
Why it matters
Designation blocks a group’s property in the U.S. and criminalizes the provision of material support. The State Department cites links to attacks on journalists, police, and civilians as the primary justification for the move.
The U.S. currently maintains 21 designations for Latin American and Caribbean groups. Legal status took effect for the first eight organizations on February 20, 2025, and most recently for Los Tiguerones on September 10, 2026.
The players
State Department
This United States federal executive department manages foreign policy and maintains the official list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
He is the President of Brazil who has publicly opposed the U.S. terrorist designations applied to criminal groups within his country.
Los Tiguerones
This is an Ecuadorian criminal group that was officially designated as a terrorist organization by the United States on September 10, 2026.
The details
Listing these organizations enables U.S. authorities to freeze assets held by American persons or entities and requires banks to monitor transactions for ties to these groups. While the U.S. views these designations as essential for security, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has publicly rejected the labels, arguing the groups are profit-driven rather than politically motivated.
Timeline
February 20, 2025: First eight criminal groups added to the list.
June 5, 2026: Designations for Brazil's PCC and CV took effect.
September 10, 2026: Los Tiguerones was officially designated.
September 18, 2026: President Lula da Silva rejected the terrorist labels.
Legal Context
The United States is using the framework of the State Department Foreign Terrorist Organizations list to apply financial pressure on criminal syndicates. This action expands the application of traditional anti-terrorism legal precedents to groups previously classified primarily as drug cartels.
These designations require U.S. banks and international financial institutions to increase oversight and block transactions linked to the listed organizations. Residents and businesses operating in these regions may see tightened financial controls and increased scrutiny of cross-border transfers.
The takeaway
The use of terrorist designations represents a shift toward using counter-terrorism financial tools to disrupt transnational criminal enterprises. This policy forces international organizations to treat these groups with the same level of legal scrutiny as traditional terrorist entities.
Further reading
For more information on global enforcement, visit our Terrorism section.
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