U.S. designates 2 more gangs as terrorist groups

Top Trump diplomat makes announcement in Ecuador during his visit to Latin America.

- By MattTHew LEE, ReGrIna GaRciIA CANO AND JAQUELYN MARTIN

SECRETARY of State Marco Rubio and Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld meet in Quito.

The United States is designating two Ecuadorean gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, marking the Trump administration’s latest step to target criminal cartels in Latin America.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement Thursday while in Ecuadoras part ofa trip to Latin America overshadowed by an American military strike against a similarly designated gang, VenezueJa’s Tren de Aragua. That attack has raised concerns in the region about what may follow as President Trump's administration pledges to step up military activity to combat drug trafficking and illegal migration.

“This time, we're not just going to hunt for drug dealersin the little fast boats and say, ‘Let’s try to arrest them,’” Rubio told reporters in Quito, Ecuador's capital. “No, the president has said he wants to wage war on these groups because they've been waging war on us for 30 years and no one hasresponded.”

Ecuadorean gangs labeled as terrorists

Los Lobos and Los Choneros are Ecuadorean gangs blamed for much of the violence that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The terrorist designation, Rubio said, brings “all sorts of options” for Washington to work in conjunction with Ecuador's government to crack down on these groups.

That includes the ability to conduct targeted killings aswellas take action against the properties and banking accounts in the U.S. of the group’s members and those with ties to the criminal organizations, Rubio said.