The United States has designated the Ecuadorian criminal group Chone Killers as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), imposing sanctions on a gang Washington says is responsible for attacks on civilians, police officers and public officials.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the move on Wednesday, saying the gang had also been listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
In a statement, Rubio accused Chone Killers of carrying out numerous violent attacks, including high-profile assassinations of government officials. He said the designation formed part of the Trump administration's wider effort to combat organised crime and drug trafficking across Latin America.
Since returning to office, U.S. President Donald Trump has expanded the use of terrorism designations against criminal gangs in the region. His administration has also intensified operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific waters off countries including Venezuela.
Rubio said Ecuadorian criminal groups play a key role in helping Mexican drug cartels transport and export illegal narcotics. He argued that the proceeds from the trade finance terrorism and other forms of organised crime.
"The Trump administration, in partnership with Ecuador and President Daniel Noboa, will continue to protect our hemisphere by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding violent narcoterrorists," Mr Rubio said.
The Ecuadorian government welcomed the U.S. decision, describing it as a sign of Washington's support for President Noboa's campaign against organised crime.
In a statement posted on social media, Ecuador's Foreign Ministry thanked the United States for what it called its "firm support" of the government's efforts to maintain an all-out fight against criminal organisations.
The Foreign Terrorist Organization designation allows the U.S. government to impose financial sanctions, freeze assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit Americans from providing material support to the group. The move also increases international pressure on organisations accused of involvement in transnational crime and terrorism.
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