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

The Trump administration announced plans to request additional congressional funding to dismantle the Ecuadorian criminal organization Los Tiguerones, which the United States has designated as a terrorist group. The designation follows the gang’s 2024 assault on a television station during a live broadcast, an act the administration says exemplifies the narcotics‑driven violence destabilizing Latin America. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the declaration in Quito while meeting Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, a right‑wing ally of President Donald Trump, and outlined the need for resources to target the gang’s drug‑trafficking networks.

Rubio’s remarks were part of a three‑nation security tour through Latin America that began on Tuesday, during which he has been courting regional leaders as partners in the United States’ broader anti‑narcotics campaign. The administration’s request to Congress seeks to allocate new funds for intelligence, law‑enforcement cooperation, and capacity‑building measures aimed at neutralizing Los Tiguerones and similar groups. The move underscores Washington’s intensified focus on curbing illicit drug flows and associated criminal activity across the region.