US designates 3 Guatemalan groups as terrorist organizations

The US on Thursday imposed terrorist designations on three Guatemala-based groups, saying they have “deep ties with Mexican cartels.”

“These three Guatemala-based groups have deep ties with Mexican cartels, helping to move and export illicit drugs to fund terrorism and criminal activity,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

The State Department designated Los Lorenzanas as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

Rubio called the group “one of Guatemala’s most powerful drug trafficking clans.” He said it is “responsible for numerous acts of violence against civilians, government officials, and military forces in Guatemala.”

The Treasury Department designated Los Huistas and Los Mendoza as SDGTs “for providing material support to U.S.-designated Mexican cartels,” the statement said.