US designates Ecuador's Los Tiguerones gang as terrorist group

Key facts

• The US designated Ecuador's Los Tiguerones gang as a terrorist organization.
• The gang is linked to narcotics trafficking and attacks on civilians, law enforcement, and journalists.
• The gang's attack on TC Televisión in 2024 prompted Ecuador to declare a state of internal armed conflict.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the designation during a visit to Quito.
• Rubio stated the gang possesses weapons and equipment resembling national armies.
• Rubio is seeking $45 million in additional funding to dismantle terrorist groups.

The US has designated Ecuador's Los Tiguerones gang as a terrorist organization, citing its involvement in drug trafficking and violent attacks that have destabilized the region. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision in Quito during a tour aimed at strengthening security partnerships with right-wing allies in Latin America.

Rubio described the gang as more than ordinary criminals, noting their possession of weapons and equipment comparable to national armies. The designation comes after the gang's brazen storming of the TC Televisión network in 2024, an event that led Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa to declare a state of internal armed conflict. This incident highlighted the escalating drug violence in Ecuador, with claims that foreign gangs are seeking control of drug routes originating from neighboring Colombia and Peru.

During his visit, Rubio met with President Noboa and praised Ecuador as the Trump administration's most aggressive partner in combating drug traffickers. He also visited Colombia, meeting with President Abelardo De La Espriella, and is expected to travel to Peru to meet Keiko Fujimori. These meetings are part of an effort to bolster security cooperation with conservative leaders in Latin America, a region experiencing a significant political shift to the right. Rubio indicated he would seek $45 million in additional funding from Congress to support efforts against these groups, emphasizing daily joint operations between US elite forces and their Ecuadorian counterparts.