US designates Ecuador's Chone Killers gang as terrorist organisation

The United States has designated the Ecuadorian gang Chone Killers as a foreign terrorist organisation, in a move that brings sanctions against the group. The State Department also classified the gang as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, according to a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Washington said the group has carried out attacks on civilians, law enforcement officers and government officials, including high-profile assassinations.

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Rubio said the designation is part of a broader campaign by the administration of President Donald Trump against organised crime and drug trafficking in Latin America. He said the administration, in partnership with Ecuador and President Daniel Noboa, would continue efforts to disrupt the revenue streams of what he described as violent narcoterrorists. Rubio also alleged that Ecuadorian gangs help Mexican cartels transport and export illegal drugs, which he said fund terrorism and other criminal activity.

Ecuador's foreign ministry welcomed the decision, saying it reflected strong US support for Noboa's campaign against criminal organisations. In a statement posted on X, the ministry thanked what it called the firm support of the United States for Noboa's decision to maintain an all-out fight against criminal groups. Noboa has imposed curfews and deployed the military to several provinces in a US-backed crackdown aimed at stamping out gang activity.

The designation matters because it gives Washington a stronger legal and financial toolset against a criminal network that the US says is tied to violence and drug trafficking. Foreign terrorist organisation status can increase pressure on any people or entities accused of supporting the group, while the global terrorist designation can broaden sanctions exposure. It also places the Chone Killers within a wider US strategy that has already targeted other Latin American groups, including Venezuela's Tren de Aragua and Mexico's Sinaloa cartel.

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The move also highlights the security challenge facing Ecuador, where gangs have become a central issue for the government. Noboa has presented the crackdown as part of a wider effort to restore state control and reduce the influence of armed criminal groups. The US decision suggests that Washington sees Ecuador's internal security crisis as linked to regional drug routes and the wider flow of illicit finance.

What remains unclear is how quickly the sanctions will affect the gang's operations and whether the designation will lead to further measures against individuals or networks linked to it. It is also not yet clear whether other governments will follow the US lead with similar designations. For now, the decision marks a significant escalation in US pressure on one of Ecuador's most prominent criminal groups and a further sign of cooperation between Washington and Quito.

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