This isn’t want you want to hear if you are living in Guatemala. Twenty convicted Barrio 18 gang members have escaped from a maximum security prison in Guatemala. According to the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala all twenty gang members have been designated by the United States as terrorists. The Daily Caller reported more on the jailbreak and how the gang leaders were able to escape: Twenty convicted members of the Barrio 18 gang escaped from a maximum-security prison in Guatemala over the weekend, triggering urgent calls from U.S. officials for authorities to recapture them. The inmates, all U.S.-designated terrorists, broke out of the Fraijanes II prison southeast of Guatemala City, where they “evaded security controls,” prison director Ludin Godinez said Sunday, according to CBS News. The gang was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration in September. Godinez said he had received “an intelligence report” Friday warning of a potential escape attempt. Investigators now suspect inside help and have opened a corruption probe into prison staff. The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala condemned the jailbreak as “utterly unacceptable” in a statement on X, warning that anyone aiding the fugitives will face consequences. “The United States designated members of this heinous group as the terrorists they are and will hold accountable anyone who has provided, provides, or decides to provide material support to these fugitives or other gang members,” the embassy said. American officials pressed Guatemalan authorities to “act immediately and vigorously” to bring the escapees back into custody. Barrio 18, one of the largest criminal organizations in the Northern Hemisphere, operates throughout Central America and has been linked with rival MS-13 to roughly 200,000 deaths over the past 30 years, the Salvadoran government estimates, according to CBS News. The President of El Salvador last month praised President Trump for officially designating Barrio 18 as a terrorist organization. Take a look: Thank you for your words Mr. President @realDonaldTrump, during your address today at the United Nations General Assembly. Also, thank you for designating the “Barrio 18” gang as a terrorist group, whose crimes have inflicted so much harm on our societies. In El Salvador, we… pic.twitter.com/nFyBv8vUpe — Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) September 24, 2025 Full text: Thank you for your words Mr. President Donald Trump, during your address today at the United Nations General Assembly. Also, thank you for designating the “Barrio 18” gang as a terrorist group, whose crimes have inflicted so much harm on our societies. In El Salvador, we had already taken this step by formally designating them as terrorists; even though some organizations have criticized us, most of their members are currently imprisoned at CECOT, the Confinement Center of Terrorism (by its initials in Spanish), specifically designed to confront this type of threat. Your message underscores the importance of working together with determination in the fight against terrorism, and we are pleased to see that our governments are fully aligned in this cause. We are convinced that cooperation between our nations is key to eradicating these criminal structures and ensuring a future of peace and security for our peoples. May God bless El Salvador and may God bless the United States of America.