The United States designates Ecuador’s Chone Killers gang as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), the State Department announces. In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the group has carried out numerous attacks targeting civilians, law enforcement officers, and government officials. He also cites high-profile assassinations of public officials as part of the gang’s record.
The State Department’s actions include the designation of the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and it also lists the gang under the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designation framework, according to one report summarizing the U.S. announcement. The U.S. says the gang operates in Ecuador and that its violence has included attacks associated with both civilian and security forces, as well as officials.
Both reports describe the decision as a U.S. government designation tied to alleged past attacks and targeting of multiple categories of victims. The designations take place following the State Department’s announcement on Wednesday.
