WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department took action Wednesday, officially labeling the Ecuadorean gang known as Chone Killers a Foreign Terrorist Organization and imposing sanctions against the group for what officials described as a pattern of violent attacks.
In addition to the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the gang was also classified as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
“Chone Killers … has committed numerous attacks targeting civilians, law enforcement officers, and government officials, including high-profile assassinations of public officials,” Rubio said in an official statement.
The designation is part of a wider effort during President Donald Trump’s second term to confront gang activity across the Americas. The administration has moved to label several groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and has carried out a series of strikes targeting suspected drug trafficking vessels off the coast of Venezuela and along the Pacific coast of Latin America.
Rubio also addressed the partnership with Ecuador in combating narcoterrorism, saying, “The Trump Administration, in partnership with Ecuador and President Daniel Noboa, will continue to protect our hemisphere by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding violent narcoterrorists.”
