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The Conversation
The Conversation
Politics
Ernesto Castañeda, Professor, and Director, Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, American University

The Trump administration says Tren de Aragua is a terrorist group – but it’s really a transnational criminal organization. Here’s why the label matters.

Tren de Aragua Terrorist Aragua United States El Salvador Venezuela Anadolu Prison
Venezuelan immigrants, whom the Trump White House says are members of the Tren de Aragua gang, arrive in El Salvador on March 31, 2025. El Salvador Press Presidency Office/Anadolu via Getty Images

The U.S. State Department declared on Feb. 20, 2025, that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, as well as some Mexican drug cartels, are now considered foreign terrorist organizations.

Is the new label warranted?

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