United States designates Chone Killers gang as "foreign terrorist organisation"
The US Department of State has classified the Chone Killers criminal gang, which operates in Ecuador, as a foreign terrorist organisation, paving the way for new sanctions and joint military operations.
United States designates Chone Killers gang as "foreign terrorist organisation"
The United States Department of State announced on Wednesday that it has designated the Chone Killers criminal gang, active in Ecuador, as a "foreign terrorist organisation". The measure entails the imposition of a series of sanctions against the group, which American diplomacy accuses of attacks against "citizens, officials and members of law enforcement services".
Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified in an official statement that the gang was also included on a separate list of "global" terrorist organisations. The decision is part of the broader policy of President Donald Trump's Republican government against crime, both in the United States and in Latin America.
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has ordered that several gangs operating in the region be designated as "terrorist". United States armed forces have been carrying out bombings since September 2025 against vessels transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean, a controversial campaign that has cost more than 200 lives. The legitimacy of these operations is questioned by the opposition, experts and non-governmental organisations, who denounce extrajudicial executions.
Rubio added in the announcement that the Trump government, in cooperation with Ecuador and President Daniel Noboa, "will continue protecting our hemisphere by keeping illegal drugs off our streets and preventing the revenue flows that finance violent drug traffickers".
The Secretary of State also stated through social media platform X that gangs operating in Ecuador help Mexican cartels distribute and export narcotics, the sale of which, according to him, "finances terrorist activities and other criminal activities".
Ecuador's diplomacy reacted by celebrating Washington's decision, which paves the way for new United States military operations. "The government of Ecuador thanks the strong support of the United States in President Daniel Noboa's decision to continue the frontal fight against criminal organisations," stated the Ministry of Foreign Relations and Human Mobility on social media platform X.
_Source: in.gr_
Source: In.gr