The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy noticeThe Trump administration designated the Barrio 18 gang as a foreign terrorist organization on Tuesday, joining other Latin American criminal groups receiving the designation in recent months. Barrio 18, largely based in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, originated in the United States as a street gang in Los Angeles created by young Salvadoran immigrants as a way to protect themselves. When many of their members were deported from the U.S. to El Salvador, the gang expanded and gained power across Central America, where it continues to terrorize communities. That has sharply dropped crime rates in El Salvador, but also fueled accusations of mass human rights abuses by the government.