US designates Ecuador’s Chone Killers gang as ‘terrorist’ organisation | Crime News
US Designates Ecuadorian Gang as Foreign Terrorist Organization
Published: July 2, 2026
The U.S. State Department has classified the Ecuadorian gang known as the Chone Killers as a foreign “terrorist organization,” imposing sanctions following allegations that the group has conducted attacks against civilians and public officials.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the Chone Killers have been designated as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist.” He stated, “Chone Killers has committed numerous attacks targeting civilians, law enforcement officers, and government officials, including high-profile assassinations of public officials.”
This designation is part of a wider campaign by the Trump administration aimed at combating organized crime and drug trafficking in Latin America. In this effort, several other gangs and drug cartels, including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, have also been labeled as “terrorist” organizations.
Rubio emphasized the collaboration with Ecuador under President Daniel Noboa, stating that the administration would continue efforts to protect the hemisphere by reducing illicit drug trafficking and disrupting the financial support for violent narcoterrorists. He also alleged that Ecuadorian gangs facilitate the transport and export of illegal drugs for Mexican cartels, contributing to funding criminal activities.
Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude for the U.S. designation, noting it underscores Washington’s support for Noboa’s campaign against organized crime. “The Government of Ecuador thanks the firm support of the United States for the decision by President Daniel Noboa to maintain an all-out fight against criminal organizations,” the ministry said in a statement on social media platform X.
In response to escalating gang violence, Noboa has instituted curfews and deployed military forces across various provinces, with backing from the United States for a crackdown on gang activity.