Trinidad & Tobago has joined other members of the Shield of the Americas group to designate 24 criminal gangs and organizations as terrorist organizations.
The move came during a meeting of the Shield of the Americas hosted by the US on the margins of the UN General Assembly today.
It was attended by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, with addresses delivered by US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to the Office of the Prime Minister, the designations will help limit the ability of the gangs to perpetrate acts of violence throughout the region.
It adds that T&T “will continue to advocate for lasting measures that bring tangible results for our country and region”.
“Today, our stance of solidarity within the Shield will bring meaningful change and improve the lives of all of our citizens through a strategic partnership with the United States of America to strengthen our collective economic security, energy security and national security,” says the statement.
A joint statement shared by the US State Department lists the groups as:
The 24 groups:
Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)
Tren de Aragua
Carteles Unidos
Cartel del Golfo (Gulf Cartel)
La Nueva Familia Michoacana
Cartel del Noreste
Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG)
Cartel de Sinaloa
Gran Grif
Viv Ansanm
Los Lobos
Los Choneros
Barrio 18
Cartel de Los Soles
Clan del Golfo
Primeiro Comando da Capital
Comando Vermelho
Chone Killers
Los Viagras
Juarez Cartel (La Línea)
FARC Dissident Groups, including FARC-Estado Mayor Central, FARC-Segunda Marquetalia, or aliases, affiliates, and successor groups
ELN
Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso)
Los Tiguerones
Meanwhile, the PM also held a bilateral meeting with India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar, in New York today.
The two leaders are said to have discussed matters of mutual interest, including economic cooperation, enhanced trade flows, and financing from India’s Exim Bank for various development projects.
