Abstract Purpose Metabolic syndrome (MetS), the clustering of several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, is highly prevalent in Hispanics/Latinos. We tested whether all components significantly loaded on the syndrome in Hispanics/Latinos and whether their contribution differed by sex and Hispanic ancestry. We also examined associations of MetS with prevalent diabetes and coronary heart disease in Hispanics/Latinos. Methods Data were obtained from a population-based cohort of n  = 15,823 participants in the HCHS/SOL study who self-identified as being of Central American, Cuban, Dominican, Mexican American, Puerto Rican, or South American ancestry and were aged 18 to 74 years at screening. Results A latent variable model of waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and fasting glucose fit the data in men and women, but the contribution of HDL-C was weak. No difference in the latent model of MetS was detected across Hispanic/Latino ancestry groups. MetS was significantly associated with diabetes and coronary heart disease. Conclusions Our results indicate that similar criteria for MetS may be applied across Hispanic/Latino ancestry groups but call into question the role of HDL-C in classifying the MetS in Hispanics/Latinos.