US blacklists Ecuador's 'Tiguerones' as terror group
QUITO: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday designated Ecuador’s Los Tiguerones gang a “terrorist organisation” during a visit to Quito, escalating Washington’s campaign against criminal groups it says are destabilising Latin America.
Washington has labeled Ecuador's Los Tiguerones gang a terrorist organization during a visit to Quito by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The gang is accused of involvement in narcotrafficking, attacks on civilians, law enforcement, and journalists. Rubio emphasized that Los Tiguerones possess weapons and equipment comparable to national armies, distinguishing them from ordinary criminals.
The designation comes amid a surge in cartel violence in Ecuador, with over 25,000 murders reported in the past three years. Drug gangs from various countries are competing for control of drug trafficking routes through Ecuador, which serves as a major transit point for cocaine from Colombia and Peru to the US, Europe, and Asia.
Los Tiguerones are linked to cocaine trafficking, extortion, contract killings, arms trafficking, and money laundering, and are one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Ecuador, competing with other prominent gangs like Los Choneros and Los Lobos. The US designation freezes any US assets belonging to the gang and prohibits Americans from engaging in business with it.
This is the latest in a series of such designations by Washington, which has also targeted other Ecuadoran gangs such as Los Choneros, Los Lobos, and the Chone Killers.
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- US blacklists Ecuador's 'Tiguerones' as terror group hindustantimes.com
