US is designating two Ecuadorian gangs as terrorist groups

QUITO: The United States State Department designated two Ecuadorean criminal groups, Los Choneros and Los Lobos, as foreign terrorist organizations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a public notice on Thursday (Sep 4).

Los Choneros alleged leader, Jose Adolfo "Fito" Macias Villamar, has been indicted on federal drug and gun charges in the United States, where he is currently being held. He has pleaded not guilty. Both gangs were sanctioned by the United States in 2024.

The United States also announced nearly $20 million in new security commitments for Ecuador during a visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the Andean country on Thursday, as Washington seeks to buoy allies in its crackdown on drug cartels.

The commitments include over $13 million in general security funding, plus $6 million for drones for the Ecuadorean Navy, Rubio said.

"This is the beginning of what we can do together," Rubio said during joint remarks with Ecuadorean counterpart Gabriela Sommerfeld, saying the US would consider a military base in Ecuador if invited by that country.

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa, who also met with Rubio, supports a base but also needs voter approval for it in a referendum.

The US previously had a base in the coastal city of Manta, but left in 2009 on orders from Ecuador's then-president.

US INTEL SHARING WITH ECUADOR

Rubio said the designation of the gangs as terrorist groups will allow the US to go after their assets and facilitate intelligence sharing with Ecuador.

"It opens up the aperture for the amount of intelligence that we can now share, which is very valuable when you're trying to wage war against these vicious animals, these terrorists," Rubio said.

Killings in the South American country have increased despite Noboa's efforts to combat gang violence tied to the drug trade. Killings were up 40% in the first seven months of this year compared to the same period in 2024.

Noboa, elected this year to a full term, has deployed the military on the streets, and lawmakers have approved reforms the president says will help curb crime, including harsher penalties for drug trafficking.