# Washington Designates Ecuador's Chone Killers a Terrorist Group > Introduction: a new red line drawn by Rubio - Author: Maxime Marquette - Publisher: MadMax (https://mad-max.co) - Section: Note - Published: 2026-07-03 - Canonical URL: https://mad-max.co/en/article/billet-washington-designe-les-chone-killers-dequateur-organisation-terroriste ## Introduction: a new red line drawn by Rubio ### An announcement that fits a broader campaign **U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio** announced Wednesday the designation of the Ecuadorian gang **Chone Killers** as a **Foreign Terrorist Organization** and **Specially Designated Global Terrorist**, a classification that freezes the group's **assets** in the United States and criminalizes any **material support** provided to its members. This decision adds to an already long list of **18 Latin American gangs and cartels** designated as terrorist organizations by the **Trump** administration since February, part of a declared campaign against what **Rubio** calls regional **narcoterrorism**. ### The precise accusations leveled against the group According to the **State Department's** statement, the **Chone Killers** help **Mexican cartels** move and export drugs to finance their terrorist and criminal activities, while having carried out numerous attacks against civilians, law enforcement and representatives of the **Ecuadorian government**. **Rubio** stated that the group is also responsible for **targeted killings** of Ecuadorian public figures, including **senior officials**, a level of violence that he says justifies this exceptional classification reserved for the gravest threats. ## The context of gang violence in Ecuador ### An unprecedented crime surge since the pandemic The **Chone Killers** are an offshoot of the **Choneros**, Ecuador's oldest gang, itself already designated a terrorist organization by Washington in **2020** for its close ties to major Mexican drug cartels, notably the **Sinaloa Cartel**. Criminal violence in **Ecuador** has surged dramatically since the **COVID-19 pandemic**, turning a country once relatively spared by **regional drug trafficking** into one of the most dangerous zones in Latin America, according to several analyses cited by the international press. ### Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa's response President **Daniel Noboa** had himself declared his country in a state of **"internal armed conflict"** in **January 2024**, an exceptional measure meant to intensify the fight against organized crime after a wave of attacks and **spectacular prison escapes**, including that of drug trafficker **Adolfo Macías**, leader of the Choneros. The Ecuadorian **government** quickly welcomed the American decision, thanking **Washington** for its "firm support" of the head-on fight led by **Noboa** against the criminal organizations that have destabilized the country for several consecutive years. ## The legal implications of the terrorist designation ### Asset freezes and the criminalization of support Designation as a **Foreign Terrorist Organization** carries considerable legal consequences in the United States: an immediate freeze on all of the group's assets located on American territory or within the **dollarized banking system**, and **federal criminal prosecution** for anyone who knowingly provides material support to its members. This classification also allows for expanded intelligence-sharing between American agencies and the Ecuadorian government, including information potentially usable in operations that could lead to lethal action against group members on Ecuadorian soil. ### A tool already used with mixed results Washington has already used this type of designation against other Ecuadorian gangs, notably the **Choneros** and the **Lobos**, **last September**, a strategy the administration presents as effective but whose real impact on reducing criminal violence remains difficult to measure objectively at this stage. **Regional security** experts remain divided on the **long-term effectiveness** of these repeated designations, with some arguing they fragment large organizations without necessarily reducing overall violence, and others insisting they are an indispensable deterrent. ## The Trump administration's broader strategy in Latin America ### A systematic campaign against regional drug trafficking Since February, the **Trump** administration has methodically expanded its list of terrorist designations targeting Latin American criminal organizations, an approach reflecting a declared intent to treat **transnational drug trafficking** as a **national security** threat equivalent to classic **Islamist terrorism**. This strategy comes with a broader message about the need to secure the **Western Hemisphere** against transnational criminal threats that, according to **Rubio**, directly exploit porous borders and the institutional weakness of certain states in the region. ### Criticism over the geopolitical use of these designations Some international observers nonetheless criticize what they see as the **political instrumentalization** of terrorist designations, used in their view to justify an expanded American **security** and military presence in a region historically sensitive to any form of perceived **interference** from Washington. The administration firmly rejects this reading, insisting that each designation responds to precise, documented and verifiable **factual criteria** regarding the criminal and violent activities of the targeted groups, without any hidden geopolitical agenda. ## Repercussions for regional security ### A signal sent to Latin American cartels at large This new designation sends a clear signal to criminal organizations operating across **Latin America**: ties to major Mexican cartels, combined with acts of violence against civilians or government officials, now expose these groups to direct and immediate **American sanctions**. Regional security analysts expect **Rubio** to announce further similar designations in the coming weeks, with the administration itself indicating that a **legal process** is underway to classify several other criminal groups in the region. ### The potential impact on regional cooperation Beyond Ecuador, this approach could strengthen **security cooperation** between Washington and other regional governments facing similar challenges, notably **Mexico**, **Colombia** and **Honduras**, where comparable transnational criminal dynamics continue to threaten local **institutional stability**. This increased cooperation nonetheless remains contingent on each national government's willingness to accept a higher level of American security involvement, a politically sensitive tradeoff in several Latin American capitals historically wary of Washington. ## What this means for hemispheric geopolitical balance ### A Western Hemisphere under multiple pressures The rise of transnational criminal organizations in **Latin America** fits into a broader geopolitical context where **Chinese** economic influence and **Russian interference** in certain countries of the region further complicate Washington's ability to maintain coherent **hemispheric stability**. Some analysts believe that drug trafficking and the institutional instability it generates create openings that **rival powers** like **China** could exploit economically, notably through **investments** in the **port and mining infrastructure** of countries weakened by criminal violence. ### The need for a long-term vision Faced with these complex dynamics, simply piling up one-off terrorist designations will probably not be enough on its own to guarantee lasting regional stability, which requires Washington to pursue a more comprehensive strategy combining security, **economic development** and **institutional strengthening** in the most vulnerable countries. In this context, Ecuador represents both a credibility test for the Trump administration's security approach and a potential example for other countries in the region facing comparable criminal threats in the months and years ahead. ## International reactions to the designation ### A favorable reception from regional allies Several governments in the region welcomed this designation, seeing it as a positive signal of Washington's continued commitment to hemispheric security, at a time when several Latin American countries are struggling to contain growing transnational criminal violence on their own. Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs publicly thanked the United States for this support, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in fighting criminal organizations whose reach extends well beyond Ecuadorian national borders. ### More critical voices on the measure's real scope Other observers, notably some **human rights** experts, question the risks of overreach in applying this designation, fearing that the broad definition of "material support" could potentially affect civilian populations living in gang-influenced areas with no direct link to their criminal activities. These concerns, though legitimate from a human rights standpoint, do not fundamentally undermine the need to fight organizations responsible for documented political assassinations and **systematic violence** against Ecuador's **democratic institutions**. ## Marco Rubio's specific weight in this doctrine ### A secretary of state who knows the region from the inside **Marco Rubio**, of Cuban descent, has paid particular attention to Latin America since the start of his **political career**, a region he knows intimately and whose stability he considers directly tied to American national security, unlike some predecessors who handled the file with less consistency. This personal involvement translates into a steady pace of terrorist designations since February, a strategy **Rubio** defends as necessary in the face of what he describes as a **continuous deterioration** of security in several countries in the region, from Ecuador to **Venezuela** and through certain areas of Mexico. ### Consistency with the administration's broader doctrine This approach is consistent with the broader **security doctrine** championed by the **Trump** administration, which holds that firmness toward external threats — whether from criminal cartels, **authoritarian regimes** like Russia and Iran, or rival powers like China — must remain a constant priority of **American foreign policy**. The parallel between the firmness shown toward Latin American cartels and that deployed against China, Iran, Russia and North Korea is no coincidence: it reflects a coherent vision in which **Western security** is being contested simultaneously on several distinct **geographic fronts**. ## Conclusion: a story that reaches far beyond Ecuador ### A precedent for American hemispheric policy The designation of the **Chone Killers** as a terrorist organization illustrates a broader evolution in American foreign policy toward Latin America, where the fight against transnational drug trafficking now occupies a central place comparable to that historically held by the fight against Islamist terrorism. This evolution raises legitimate questions about the balance between security effectiveness and respect for the sovereignty of partner nations, a balance Washington will have to keep negotiating carefully in the months ahead. ### A test for Ecuadorian stability For Ecuador, this designation represents a further step in a prolonged fight against criminal violence that has transformed the country in just a few years, a file the international community will need to keep watching closely given its broader regional implications. **By Maxime Marquette, columnist** ## Columnist's transparency note ### Editorial stance I am not a journalist but a **columnist and analyst**. My expertise lies in observing and analysing the geopolitical, economic and strategic dynamics that shape our world. My work is to take political strategies apart, to understand global economic movements, to put the decisions of international actors in context and to offer analytical perspectives on the changes that are redefining our societies. I do not claim the cold objectivity of traditional journalism, which stops at reporting facts. **I claim analytical clarity**, rigorous interpretation and a deep understanding of the complex issues that concern us all. My role is to give meaning to the facts, to place them in their historical and strategic context, and to offer a critical reading of events. ### Method and sources This text keeps the basic distinction between **verified facts and interpretive analysis**. The rule never changes: a factual claim is published only when a verifiable source supports it, and the sources this article actually used are listed under **Sources**, never here. **Primary source families** used by the publication, when the story has them: official statements from governments and international institutions, public statements by political leaders, reports from intergovernmental organisations, dispatches from recognised international news agencies. **Secondary source families**: specialised publications, internationally recognised news media, analyses from established research institutions, reports from industry organisations. When an article cites statistical, economic or geopolitical data, it comes from the institutions that produce it (intergovernmental organisations, central banks, national statistics offices), and the exact institution is named under **Sources**. ### Nature of the analysis The analyses, interpretations and perspectives in the analytical sections of this article are a **critical, contextual synthesis** based on the information available, the trends observed and the expert comments cited in the sources consulted. My role is to interpret these facts, to set them in the context of today's geopolitical and economic dynamics, and to give them a coherent meaning within the larger story of the changes shaping our time. These analyses reflect expertise built through continuous observation of international affairs and an understanding of the strategic mechanisms that drive global actors. This article describes a documented state of affairs on its publication date, not a prediction: later developments may shift its outlook. No update is promised in advance; when an article is corrected or completed, the change is dated in the text. ## Sources ### Primary sources - [Al Jazeera, "US designates Ecuador's Chone Killers gang as 'terrorist' organisation" — July 2, 2026](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/2/us-designates-ecuadors-chone-killers-gang-as-terrorist-organisation) - [UPI, "U.S. labels Ecuadorean gang Chone Killers terrorist organization" — July 2, 2026](https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/07/02/Chone-Killers-terrorist-designation/7011782960359/) ### Secondary sources - [The Annapurna Express, coverage of the Chone Killers designation — July 2026](https://theannapurnaexpress.com/story/58277/) - [Infobae, "Ecuador agradece el 'respaldo' de EE.UU. tras designar a Chone Killers como terroristas" — July 1, 2026](https://www.infobae.com/america/agencias/2026/07/01/ecuador-agradece-el-respaldo-de-eeuu-tras-designar-a-chone-killers-como-terroristas/) - [The Boston Globe, live update on the Chone Killers designation — July 1, 2026](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/01/nation/trump-presidency-live-updates/) - [U.S. State Department, joint press availability with Rubio and Ecuador's foreign minister on regional terrorist designations](https://www.state.gov/releases/2025/09/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-and-ecuadorian-foreign-minister-gabriela-sommerfeld-at-a-joint-press-availability) --- Source: Maxime Marquette, MadMax. When citing, name the author and link https://mad-max.co/en/article/billet-washington-designe-les-chone-killers-dequateur-organisation-terroriste