The United States has designated the Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif gangs in Haiti as “foreign terrorist organisations”;.
This follows a trend under President Donald Trump of issuing terrorist designations against criminal groups in Latin America.
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced this onFriday.
According to Rubio, the two gangs have spread violence and chaos in Haiti, as armed groups continue to enforce terror in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
“The age of impunity for those supporting violence in Haiti is over,”; Rubio said in a statement.
“Haitian gangs, including the Viv Ansanm coalition and Gran Grif, are the primary source of instability and violence in Haiti. They are a direct threat to US national security interests in our region.”;
In February, the US also designated at least eight drug-trafficking and criminal groups as “terrorist organisations”;.
These include gangs like Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Tren de Aragua and several Mexican drug cartels.
