US Designates Ecuador's Los Tiguerones Gang as Terrorist Organization
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Ecuador's Los Tiguerones gang as a terrorist organization during a visit to Quito, citing the group's 2024 attack on TC Televisión and links to narcotics trafficking. Rubio also announced plans to seek $45 million in additional funding from Congress to dismantle such groups.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has officially designated Ecuador’s Los Tiguerones gang as a terrorist organization. The announcement was made in Quito while Rubio was meeting with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa.
The designation stems largely from the gang's actions in 2024, when members stormed the TC Televisión network during a live broadcast. Following that incident, President Noboa declared a state of "internal armed conflict" within the country. Rubio stated that Los Tiguerones are linked to narcotics trafficking and have carried out attacks against civilians, law enforcement officers, and journalists.
In conjunction with the designation, Rubio announced plans to seek $45 million (£33m) in additional funding from Congress to help dismantle terrorist groups. He highlighted that elite forces from the US and Ecuador are currently working jointly on a day-to-day basis to target these organizations. Rubio described Ecuador as the Trump administration’s most "aggressive" partner in its military campaign against alleged drug traffickers, noting that controversial strikes against boats have killed at least 227 people identified by the administration as traffickers, though no evidence was provided for these identifications.
This move is part of the broader "Shield of the Americas" security coalition, which aims to tighten cooperation with right-wing allies in Latin America. Rubio’s regional tour included a stop in Colombia on Tuesday, where he met newly inaugurated President Abelardo De La Espriella. De La Espriella won the June election against leftist leader Gustavo Petro, and his government subsequently joined the Shield of the Americas initiative. During the meeting, Rubio and De La Espriella signed memorandums of understanding regarding critical minerals and nuclear energy.
Rubio is expected to travel to Peru next to meet Keiko Fujimori, who defeated a left-wing candidate by a margin of just 50,000 votes in a July election.