Feds declare Barrio 18 a terrorist organization

MEXICO CITY — The Trump administration designated the Barrio 18 gang as a foreign terrorist organization 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.

In recent years, the gang was dealt a powerful blow by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who has waged war on the country's gangs.