US designates Ecuador-based Chone Killers as terrorist organization

The United States on Wednesday designated Ecuador-based Chone Killers as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

The U.S. said the Ecuadorian gang has committed many attacks targeting civilians, law enforcement officers, and government officials, including high-profile assassinations of public officials.

Chone Killers, according to the State Department, originated as a faction of Los Choneros — a designated FTO and SDGT — before splintering into a separate group in 2020.​

Washington says the U.S., alongside Ecuador and President Daniel Noboa, will continue to protect the hemisphere by cutting off illicit drug suppliers and disrupting traffickers’ revenue streams.

The latest action, the government notes, demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to dismantling cartels and narcoterrorists in the region and ensuring the safety of the American people.

The designation was announced one day after the United States sanctioned two Mexican nationals and nine entities involved in fuel theft, and are linked to Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).

CJNG, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, was led by Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, a.k.a. “El Mencho,” until he was killed in February this year during a military operation in Mexico.

The Treasury’s action, according to Washington, highlights CJNG’s “exploitation of Mexico’s petroleum and petrochemicals sector,” labeled a threat to legitimate U.S. businesses and the financial system.