U.S. labels Ecuador's Chone Killers gang as foreign terrorist group

The U.S. State Department announced on July 1 2026 that the Ecuadorian criminal organization Chone Killers has been designated both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the gang “has committed numerous attacks targeting civilians, law‑enforcement officers and government officials, including high‑profile assassinations of public officials.”

The group, a splinter of the Los Choneros faction that broke away in 2020, is accused of helping Mexican drug cartels transport and export illicit drugs, which Washington says finances terrorism and other criminal activity. The designation is part of the Trump administration’s broader campaign against transnational organized crime in Latin America and is being carried out in partnership with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, who has imposed curfews and deployed the military in several provinces.

Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked the United States, calling the move “firm support” for Noboa’s “front‑line fight against criminal organizations.” The designation enables U.S. sanctions that freeze assets, prohibit U.S. persons from providing material support, and allow criminal prosecution of those linked to the gang. It follows earlier U.S. listings of other Latin‑American gangs such as Los Choneros, Los Lobos, Brazil’s PCC and Comando Vermelho.