US Designates Three Guatemala Groups as Terrorists
The State and Treasury departments targeted groups with ties to Mexican cartels that help move and export illicit drugs.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Terrorism
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The United States designated three Guatemala-based groups as terrorist organizations on Thursday. The groups have ties with Mexican cartels and help move and export illicit drugs.
Why it matters
The designations expand the legal tools available to U.S. agencies against drug trafficking networks operating from Guatemala and linked to Mexican cartels. They frame drug trafficking organizations as funders of terrorism and criminal activity.
The State Department designated Los Lorenzanas as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, while the Treasury Department designated Los Huistas and Los Mendoza as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Details on membership and any further legal proceedings were not provided.
The players
U.S. State Department
The U.S. State Department is the federal agency responsible for foreign policy and diplomacy, and it made the Los Lorenzanas designations.
U.S. Treasury Department
The U.S. Treasury Department oversees federal financial and economic policy and enforces sanctions, and it made the Los Huistas and Los Mendoza designations.
The details
Los Lorenzanas, described as one of Guatemala's most powerful drug trafficking clans, is responsible for numerous acts of violence against civilians, government officials and military forces in Guatemala. Los Huistas and Los Mendoza were designated for providing material support to U.S.-designated Mexican cartels.
Timeline
Thursday (week of November 13, 2026): The U.S. imposed terrorist designations on the three Guatemala-based groups.
Legal Context
The designations apply the State Department's Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist categories and the Treasury Department's Specially Designated Global Terrorist authority to drug trafficking groups. The move extends terrorism-designation tools that have been used against Mexican cartels to Guatemala-based networks.
The designations may lead to sanctions and restrictions on dealings with the named groups, which could affect financial institutions and businesses that interact with them. Residents and travelers should watch for resulting enforcement actions that may affect cross-border movement and trade.
The takeaway
Designating criminal networks as terrorist organizations gives U.S. agencies broader legal and financial tools, so the scope and follow-through of these actions will matter for how effectively drug trafficking groups are disrupted.
Further reading
Explore more on Terrorism to see how governments classify criminal networks as terrorist threats.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Anadolu Ajansı.
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