{"id":89694,"date":"2026-07-01T16:17:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T20:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/state-department-labels-ecuadorean-gang-chone-killers-a-terrorist-organization\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T16:17:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T20:17:46","slug":"state-department-labels-ecuadorean-gang-chone-killers-a-terrorist-organization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/state-department-labels-ecuadorean-gang-chone-killers-a-terrorist-organization\/","title":{"rendered":"State Department Labels Ecuadorean Gang Chone Killers a Terrorist Organization"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 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.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

“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.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

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.”<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The U.S. State Department has officially designated the Ecuadorean gang Chone Killers as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, imposing sanctions on the group. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the gang of carrying out attacks on civilians, law enforcement, and government officials. The move is part of a broader effort under the current administration to crack down on violent gangs across the Western Hemisphere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":89693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[832],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1782937066221.png?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-nkG","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":75089,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/political-experts-u-s-gang-designations-aimed-at-influencing-brazil-election\/","url_meta":{"origin":89694,"position":0},"title":"Political Experts: U.S. Gang Designations Aimed at Influencing Brazil Election","author":"Admin","date":"June 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Political analysts believe the United States' decision to label two Brazilian criminal organizations as terrorist groups is a strategic move to support an ally of President Donald Trump ahead of Brazil's October elections. The designation came after a visit to Washington by presidential candidate Sen. 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Brazil's government has opposed such designations due to concerns about potential military intervention and banking sanctions.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1780010549702.jpg?fit=450%2C356&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":80901,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/trump-announces-military-strike-killed-venezuelan-gang-leader\/","url_meta":{"origin":89694,"position":2},"title":"Trump Announces Military Strike Killed Venezuelan Gang Leader","author":"Admin","date":"June 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"President Donald Trump announced Friday that U.S. forces conducted a military operation that eliminated the head of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang. The strike targeted Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as Ni\u00f1o Guerrero, who led the criminal organization designated as a foreign terrorist group.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781317427672.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":81099,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/high-ranking-haiti-security-official-kidnapped-in-capital-city\/","url_meta":{"origin":89694,"position":3},"title":"High-Ranking Haiti Security Official Kidnapped in Capital City","author":"Admin","date":"June 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Gunmen have abducted James Boyard, a top Defense Ministry official and police inspector general in Haiti. 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