US Designates Ecuador's Largest Gangs as Terrorist Groups

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4 days ago

Above: Marco Rubio speaks during a press conference in Quito on Sept. 4, 2025. Image copyright: Franklin Jacome/Agencia Press South/Getty Images

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The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Los Choneros and Los Lobos aren't just drug traffickers, they're narco-terrorists who murder judges, attack journalists and control territory through brutal violence, so it's positive news that they have finally been designated terrorist organizations. They have become a threat to the security and stability of countries around the world, including the U.S., and a crackdown is needed to restore order.

Red State RAND

Government-critical narrative

Labeling profit-driven criminal gangs as terrorists stretches the definition beyond recognition and creates dangerous precedents, ensnaring asylum seekers who pay smugglers, charitable organizations helping migrants, and low-level drug users in terrorism prosecutions. The broad material support laws could criminalize thousands of vulnerable people while providing rhetorical cover for militarizing immigration enforcement.

Brennan Center for Justice Cato Institute