USA declare Ecuadorian drug gangs as terrorist organizations!

USA declare Ecuadorian drug gangs as terrorist organizations!

The US government recently classified the drug gangs Los Lobos and Los Choneros from Ecuador as foreign terrorist organizations. This was announced during a visit by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Quito. With this classification, it will enable the US authorities to freeze the assets of these groups and to share intelligence information more effectively with their Ecuadorian partners. The decision is made at a time when Ecuador is faced with a dramatic security crisis and the murder rate in the first half of 2025 rose by 47 percent compared to the previous year.

The drug gangs, which are among the most powerful gangs of Ecuador, are involved in the cocaine smuggling in the USA and Europe. In this context, it is estimated that sales in global drug business is around $ 500 billion annually, which supports organized crime and endangers public health. As part of international efforts, Germany, together with the European Union, campaigned to combat global drug trafficking and to build stable government structures in affected regions, including the Andean states and increasingly in Africa. OE24 reports that several gangs are fighting for the control of lucrative drug business, which contributes to the current violent crisis in Ecuador.

Actions against drug crime

In July 2025, Fito Macias, the leader of the Los Choneros, was the first Ecuadorian citizen to be delivered to the United States in order to answer to court there. These measures are part of a more comprehensive strategy of the US authorities to act against drug trafficking and its effects. This strategy also includes military actions, such as the attack on a suspected drug smuggler boat from Venezuela, in which eleven suspects were killed. The aim was the Venezuelan drug gang tren de Aragua, which is also classified as a foreign terrorist organization.

The classification of these gangs as terrorist organizations shows the urgency with which the USA and the international community have to act against the drug problem. [AUSTIVENTIGES-AMT] (https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/aussenpolitik/icherheitpolitik/terrorismus-kriminalitaet/kampf- against-drogen-217486) emphasizes that repressive measures alone are not sufficient; Rather, sustainable alternatives to drug industries have to be created. The creation of alternative earning opportunities is crucial to improve living conditions in affected countries and to dissuade people from the drug industry.

In today's world, in which drug crime threatens the stability of entire regions, international cooperation is essential. Countries like Germany rely on a balanced and comprehensive approach in the fight against drug trafficking and its effects to sustainably improve global security.