U.S. Secretary Rubio made an announcement today. New Terrorist Organization – Los Choneros and Los Lobos are getting tagged officially now.
Foreign Terrorist Organizations, right. And also Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The paperwork went through for both those labels apparently. Pretty significant move all around.
New Terrorist Organization – Los Choneros and Los Lobos keep targeting Ecuadorian officials
Groups like Los Choneros and Los Lobos keep targeting Ecuadorian officials, you know. Their families too, plus security teams, judges, prosecutors, even journalists get hit.
Research suggests these organizations appear connected to U.S.-designated terror groups and drug cartels like Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación, as some reports note.
The main thing seems focused on controlling trafficking routes through Ecuador’s territory, basically by spreading fear through extreme violence against civilians anyway.
Take that case in July where authorities from both countries worked together. They managed to extradite Los Choneros’ leader Fito Macias over to the U.S., which was a first for Ecuadorian citizens facing charges there.
Evidence indicates this move might disrupt operations temporarily, but ongoing challenges remain obvious given how entrenched these networks are locally.
You see similar patterns when looking at regional cartel alliances—they adapt quickly even after high-profile arrests like this one happened.
Still international cooperation could play a role in limiting their reach over time if sustained properly, maybe.
The U.S. and Ecuador are teaming up under President Daniel Noboa. They’re pushing to block illegal drugs from hitting our streets, you know.
Also working to cut off the money pipelines that keep these cartel operations running. Terrorism funding, criminal activities—all that gets disrupted through this partnership.
This latest move shows the Trump administration isn’t backing down on their pledge. Full steam ahead on taking down these criminal networks to protect Americans. The paperwork side of things pulls from section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. They’re also using Executive Order 13224 as their legal footing.
Those foreign terrorist organization labels become official once they hit the Federal Register. Thing is, these designations roll out fast once published. No delays in putting them into action against these groups.
The whole effort keeps circling back to public safety priorities on both sides of the border. Interagency coordination seems tighter now than in previous years, honestly. Striking at cartel finances while physically intercepting drug shipments creates multiple pressure points.
Legal authorities get leveraged hard here—no half-measures being taken anymore. Federal Register publication acts as the starting pistol for enforcement ramping up significantly across agencies involved in this crackdown.
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Short sentences mix with longer ones here naturally while keeping everything grounded in concrete actions rather than abstract policy talk at least that’s how they’re selling it publicly anyway.
Key thing remains neutralizing organizations profiting from drug trafficking and related crimes through combined efforts between national governments focused on shared security goals without getting bogged down in bureaucratic delays apparently.
