WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has declared three Guatemalan gangs to be terrorist groups for financing violence and crime with proceeds from drug trafficking.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday imposed the terrorist designations on Los Lorenzanas, Los Huistas and Los Mendoza, all of which the U.S. says have deep ties to Mexican drug cartels.
Los Lorenzanas was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization, while the other two were identified as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Both labels subject the groups and their members to U.S. sanctions, including freezes on assets they may have in U.S. jurisdictions. The FTO designation goes further and allows criminal prosecution of people found to have provided those organizations with material support.
“The Trump administration will continue to use all available tools to protect our nation by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding violent narcoterrorists,” Rubio said in a statement. “We will not stand by while these foreign terrorist organizations corrupt Guatemala’s institutions.”
Los Huistas, which operates in western Guatemala along the Mexico border, is known to have support from local politicians and businesspeople who have helped it survive and operate with impunity.
Guatemalan authorities accuse the group of having ties with both the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Mexico. Last year, Guatemala’s government extradited one of its leaders — one of the 100 most wanted men by the U.S. government.
Los Lorenzana is a family clan accused of ties to drug trafficking in eastern and northern Guatemala along the border with Honduras. It’s accused of drug trafficking, and Guatemalan authorities say it is allied with the Sinaloa Cartel.
Los Mendoza is also a family clan accused of drug trafficking, with ties to Guatemalan politicians and government officials. Its operations are concentrated along Guatemala’s borders with Honduras and Belize. It’s known for violent land grabs in the region it dominates.
Sonia Perez in Guatemala City contributed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on during the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool Photo via AP)
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The Youth Olympic Games ended on Friday in Senegal, with organizers hailing Africa’s first Olympic event as further proof of the continent’s ability to host major international competitions.
Nearly 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 17 competed across 25 sports and 153 medal events over two weeks in the capital Dakar, nearby Diamniadio and the beach town of Saly.
A closing ceremony for athletes and delegations took place on Friday evening at the Games village in Diamniadio, with the extinguishing of the flame.
“I think that everyone came here with certain expectations and I think those expectations have been far exceeded,” International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry, a former Zimbabwean swimmer, said on Thursday.
Regarding Africa’s ability to host the Games, Coventry said: “I think we’ve shown the world the capability that we have and now we need to choose to take that forward."
Throughout the competitions, crowds roared whenever Senegalese or other African athletes scored or won.
But the celebrations also unfolded against a cost-of-living crisis, with some Senegalese questioning spending on the Games, while displaced businesses said preparations hurt their livelihoods. Authorities pointed to improved infrastructure, training and opportunities for local companies.
China finished with the most gold medals, 18, followed by Japan with 11 and Russia with eight. Three African countries came next: Egypt with six, and Ethiopia and Senegal with five each.
Beach wrestling’s Olympic debut brought particular pride to Senegal where wrestling is a national sport and its stars command huge followings. Female wrestler Elisabeth Diatta, 16, won Senegal’s first Olympic gold. Her compatriots won two more wrestling golds.
Other Olympic debuts included baseball5, a simplified version of baseball, and the Chinese martial art wushu.
Russia's athletes competed under their national flag for the first time at an Olympic event since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to its suspension.
A refugee team competed at the Youth Olympics for the first time, with six athletes based in Kenya and Uganda, competing in athletics, judo and taekwondo.
The Games came as African countries increasingly see sports as a tool for diplomacy and development, analysts say. South Africa, which staged the men’s soccer World Cup in 2010, is among countries in talks with the IOC about hosting the 2036 Olympic Games.
See full AP coverage of African sports here
Athletes attend the closing ceremony at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
Athletes attend the closing ceremony at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
Athletes attend the closing ceremony at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
