US designates Ecuadorian gangs Chone Killers, Los Choneros, and Los Lobos as terrorist groups

The U.S. State Department has designated the Ecuadorian criminal group Chone Killers as a foreign terrorist organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. The move expands an earlier Trump‑era campaign that labeled the Los Choneros and Los Lobos as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and SDGTs. The designations allow U.S. authorities to freeze assets, impose visa bans and pursue criminal penalties against members, and they deepen law‑enforcement cooperation with Ecuador. Ecuador’s foreign ministry welcomed the action, citing President Daniel Noboa’s fight against organized crime. The designations also follow the recent extradition of Los Choneros leader José Adolfo Macías Villa to the United States. The U.S. argues the gangs help Mexican cartels traffic narcotics through Ecuador, funding violence that threatens regional security.