U.S. designates Ecuador’s Los Tiguerones gang as foreign terrorist organization

While in Ecuador, Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the United States will treat the Los Tiguerones criminal organization as a foreign terrorist organization, a step taken as part of Washington’s campaign against narcotics trafficking in Latin America. He emphasized that the gang operates with weaponry and equipment comparable to that of some national armies and is involved in drug and arms trafficking, illegal mining, money laundering, extortion and killings.

Ecuador, once considered one of the safest nations in the region, now faces a homicide rate of roughly 51 per 100,000 people, about one murder per hour, driven in part by groups like Los Tiguerones. President Daniel Noboa, a close ally of the United States, has been conducting a hard-line crackdown on organized crime with U.S. military support since 2024. The designation adds Los Tiguerones to a list that already includes other Ecuadorian gangs such as Los Choneros, Los Lobos and Chone Killers, as well as groups in Venezuela and Mexico.