Get you up to speed: US designates Ecuador’s Chone Killers gang as ‘terrorist’ organisation
The US State Department has designated the Ecuadorian gang Chone Killers as a foreign “terrorist organisation” due to its attacks on civilians and officials. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the designation is part of a broader anti-crime campaign during the Trump administration, which involves collaboration with Ecuador and President Daniel Noboa.
The US designation of the Chone Killers as a terrorist organisation follows a series of coordinated efforts to combat organised crime in Latin America. Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed gratitude for the US support, signalling a continued commitment by President Daniel Noboa to intensify measures against gang-related violence.
The Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed the US designation of the Chone Killers as a foreign terrorist organisation, emphasising strong bilateral support for President Daniel Noboa’s campaign against crime. In response to escalating gang activity, Noboa has imposed curfews and deployed military forces in several provinces, with plans for continued collaboration with US authorities to combat drug trafficking and organised crime.
What remains unclear — The exact number of individuals affected by the gang’s attacks has not been disclosed.
US designates Ecuador’s Chone Killers gang as a terrorist organisation
News|CrimeUS designates Ecuador’s Chone Killers gang as ‘terrorist’ organisation
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the gang had also been classified as a ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’.
Published On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026
The US State Department has designated the Ecuadorean gang Chone Killers as a foreign “terrorist organisation”, imposing sanctions on a crime group that Washington has accused of carrying out attacks on civilians and public officials.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the gang has also been 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 a statement announcing the designations.
The move against the Ecuadorian street gang is part of a broader campaign by US President Donald Trump’s administration on organised crime and drug trafficking in Latin America.
The Trump administration has designated several other Latin American gangs and drug cartels as “terrorist” organisations, including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.
“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,” Rubio said.
Rubio also alleged that Ecuadorean gangs help Mexican cartels transport and export illegal drugs, which he said fund “terrorism” and other criminal activity.
Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the US decision, saying it reflected Washington’s strong support for Noboa’s campaign against criminal organisations.
“The Government of Ecuador thanks the firm support of the United States for the decision by President Daniel Noboa to maintain an all-out fight against criminal organisations,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on X.
Noboa, a staunch ally of Trump, has imposed curfews and deployed the military to several provinces in a US-backed crackdown aimed at stamping out gang activity.