Trump administration designates Los Chone Killers gang, from Ecuador, as a terrorist organization

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio participates in a bilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced today that the country will designate the Ecuadorian gang Los Chone Killers as a Terrorist Organization Foreign.
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The criminal group was also included on the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT).
The designations are the same as those attributed by the Trump administration to Brazilian criminal organizations, the PCC and the CV, about a month ago.
"The Chone Killers are an Ecuadorian gang that has perpetrated numerous attacks against civilians, law enforcement agents and authorities government officials, including high-profile assassinations of public officials. The group emerged as a faction of Los Choneros - an organization designated as an FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organization) and SDGT (Specially Designated Global Terrorist) - before splitting off and forming an independent group in 2020," Rubio said in a statement.
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"The Trump Administration, in partnership with Ecuador and President Daniel Noboa, will continue to protect our hemisphere by keeping drugs in check. Today's action by the Department demonstrates, once again, the Trump Administration's unwavering commitment to dismantling cartels and narco-terrorist groups in our region and to ensuring the safety of the American people."
Noboa, president of Ecuador, is a Trump ally in South America. On May 28, the United States Department of State announced that it would classify the Brazilian factions Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) as terrorist organizations. are responsible for "brutal attacks" against police officers, public authorities and civilians.
On a social network, Rubio stated that the actions of the factions go beyond Brazilian borders and reach other countries in the region and the United States.
"The Trump administration will continue to use all available tools to protect our national security interests and cut off funding and resources from narco-terrorists," he wrote.
The Lula government has positioned itself against the measure. The assessment at Palácio do Planalto is that classification as a terrorist group would open the door for harsher actions by the United States.
In an extreme scenario, the Americans could use this argument to conduct a military operation in Brazil, as has already occurred in other countries.
Public security experts also argue that Brazilian legislation to combat criminal factions provides for harsher penalties than the anti-terrorism law.

Source: G1