Trump admin's list of US-designated 'foreign terrorist' groups in Latin America expands to 21
U.S. designates Ecuadorian gang Los Tiguerones as foreign terrorist organization
The Trump administration is expanding its use of terrorism designations against criminal groups in Latin America and the Caribbean, adding Ecuador-based Los Tiguerones to two U.S. terrorism categories Wednesday.
The State Department classified Los Tiguerones as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. The action brings to 21 the number of Latin American and Caribbean groups on the U.S. foreign terrorist organization list.
Federal officials describe Los Tiguerones as an Ecuador-based gang tied to drug trafficking and other criminal activity. The department also linked the group to attacks on civilians, law enforcement officers and journalists, including a live takeover of an Ecuadorian television station in 2024.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the designation is part of the administration’s effort to target drug-trafficking networks and the income that supports them.
“The Trump administration will continue to use all available tools to protect our nation by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding violent narcoterrorists,” Rubio said.
Rubio said the designation can also cut off groups and their backers from U.S. financial channels.
“Terrorist designations expose and isolate entities and individuals, denying them access to the U.S. financial system and the resources they need to carry out attacks,” he said. He added that the labels can support law enforcement work by U.S. agencies and other governments.
The announcement came during Rubio’s South America trip, which included stops in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and focused on U.S. efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region.
The Los Tiguerones designation is part of a broader shift in Washington’s use of the Foreign Terrorist Organization label. The designation has historically been associated with groups such as ISIS and al-Qaida, which use violence to pursue political goals. The U.S. has more recently applied it to profit-driven criminal organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The administration began using that strategy in February 2025. It has since been connected to the U.S. capture earlier this year of then-Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, as well as dozens of deadly attacks on boats allegedly involved in narcotics trafficking.
The approach has also prompted action beyond Washington. Guatemala and Argentina have taken similar steps against certain groups, while Ecuador has launched joint operations on its own territory.
Mexico has the largest number of groups on the U.S. list, with eight designations. The Mexican government faces U.S. pressure to curb cartel activity and deter President Donald Trump from taking unilateral action against cartels in the country.
The administration’s anti-drug-trafficking effort has also included a separate pardon involving former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández. Trump pardoned Hernández, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking and accused during his trial of protecting the Sinaloa Cartel. Hernández has since returned to Honduras.