The Trump administration designated two Haitian gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) earlier this month, specifically Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif. The designations are mainly designed to bar gang members from accessing U.S. financial institutions that could further fund their activities, which includes gun trafficking and other aspects of illicit criminal activities. Some experts warn that the terrorist designations by the United States could exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation as aid organizations may risk losing funding or even face legal consequences for negotiating with gangs for access to areas in need. As seen with the thousands of Venezuelan migrants with alleged ties to Tren de Aragua being sent to the infamous Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT) mega-prison in El Salvador, there is concern that Haitian migrants in the U.S. may now be targeted for affiliations with the gangs designated by the state department and potentially be sent to the same prison.
Haiti Struggles with Criminal Insurgency as U.S. Designates Gangs as Terror Groups (Soufan Center)
Related articles
