The United States has designated the Ecuadorean gang Los Tiguerones as a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist group, aiming to restrict the gang’s access to financial resources and U.S. banking systems. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the move Wednesday during a visit to Quito, Ecuador, marking the latest step in the Trump administration’s efforts to combat criminal organizations in Latin America by labeling them as terrorist entities.

The designation provides U.S. authorities with legal mechanisms to freeze or seize assets connected to Los Tiguerones, although it does not authorize military actions solely based on these labels. Nevertheless, the administration has tied such designations to military operations in the region. Over the past year, approximately 20 groups in Latin America have been added to the U.S. terrorist list, reflecting an intensified “anti-cartel” initiative that U.S. officials have compared to campaigns against groups such as Al Qaeda and ISIS.

“These groups became more powerful than governments in many cases,” Rubio said, emphasizing that confronting them requires more than military force; financial disruption is also crucial. He made these remarks following talks with Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa, who assumed office in 2023 promising to tackle rising violent crime linked to the growing influence of Mexican drug cartels in Ecuador. Noboa was the first South American leader to formalize an agreement with the U.S. government for joint military operations against criminal groups.

Previously, the U.S. designated two other Ecuadorean gangs, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, as terrorist organizations, with a third group, Chone Killers, added later. The Pentagon has collaborated with Ecuadorean forces in military operations targeting these groups. In a March operation, U.S. and Ecuadorean troops bombed a site described by American officials as a drug camp, though an investigation revealed the target was a dairy farm.

Los Tiguerones gained wider attention after a 2024 attack on a live television broadcast in Ecuador, which followed a surge in violence triggered by a gang leader’s prison escape. The group mainly operates in Esmeraldas, a coastal province afflicted by drug trafficking and violence. However, analysts such as Glaeldys González Calanche from the International Crisis Group note that Los Tiguerones’ influence has declined amid competition from rival gangs like Los Lobos.

While the U.S. designation signals a strong commitment to disrupting drug-related violence, experts caution it may not significantly impact Los Tiguerones’ financial operations, as the gang typically conducts transactions outside formal banking channels, often trading drugs or weapons for gold rather than cash. The group plays a relatively minor role in the broader drug trafficking network, mainly handling lower-level logistics rather than controlling major routes.

American officials have asserted that Ecuadorean gangs supply Mexican cartels, but regional analysts argue these domestic groups are not major players in drug distribution and that dismantling one gang like Los Tiguerones is unlikely to prevent others from filling the void. “They operate at the lowest links of the chain,” González said. “They provide services, like moving cargo from point A to point B. Ecuadorean groups are not decisive, they aren’t major players.”