Trump administration designates two Haitian gangs as ‘terrorist groups’

The US has taken a hard line against gangs in Haiti while reducing involvement in efforts to address the violence there. The United States has labelled the Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif gangs in Haiti “foreign terrorist organisations”, a move that follows a trend under President Donald Trump of issuing terrorist designations against criminal groups in Latin America. “Haitian gangs, including the Viv Ansanm coalition and Gran Grif, are the primary source of instability and violence in Haiti. In February, the US also designated eight drug-trafficking and criminal groups as “terrorist organisations”, including gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Tren de Aragua and several Mexican drug cartels. AdvertisementWhile such groups carry out acts of violence and intimidation, experts have typically differentiated between them and traditional “terrorist” organisations that typically have explicit political goals.