The Albany Gazette - Rubio pushes anti-drug fight in Ecuador

Rubio visited Quito as the second stop on a three-nation tour designed to shore up conservative allies in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and bolster US influence across the region.

During the trip, he announced the designation of Ecuador's Los Tiguerones gang as a "terrorist organization," escalating Washington's campaign against powerful criminal groups.

"We are not talking about an ordinary mafia, nor are we talking about common criminals," Rubio said after meeting President Daniel Noboa.

"We are talking about terrorists who, in many cases, possess weapons and equipment resembling the national armies of certain countries."

The Tiguerones made international headlines in early 2024 when masked gang members stormed a TV studio during a live broadcast, firing shots and forcing terrified crew to the ground.

They are linked to cocaine trafficking, extortion, contract killings, arms trafficking, money laundering and waves of violence.

More than 25,000 people have been murdered in Ecuador in the last three years.

Rubio said seven unnamed former members of Ecuador's government would also be sanctioned "for accepting bribes" and involvement with proscribed groups.

- Drug gangs -

Since President Donald Trump returned to power, the US government dramatically shifted its anti-drug strategy to include air strikes against vessels suspected of shipping drugs in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.

The strikes have killed more than 200 people, according to US Defense Department figures.

In recent days, joint US-Ecuador patrols have sunk at least six fishing boats accused of being involved in the drug trade -- although many were carrying only fuel and some crew members have been released without charge.

Drug gangs from Albania to Mexico have descended on Ecuador in recent years, vying for control of routes to take drugs from the coca fields of the Andes to the US, European and Asian markets.

The United States is by far the world's largest consumer of cocaine, the vast majority of which comes from or through Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

During the visit Rubio was also expected to discuss tougher extradition rules, and he unveiled the US would send Ecuador a coastguard cutter and five more interceptor vessels.

Rubio also underscored commercial ties, saying Google, Palantir and SpaceX were "establishing operations and digital infrastructure in Ecuador."

- Regional ambitions -

Washington has made no secret of its desire to counter the influence of China, Russia and Iran in Latin America, a priority set out in the administration's national security strategy.

In Colombia on Tuesday, Rubio pledged to restore "natural relations" with Bogota after years of leftist rule.

Rubio told reporters an energetic discussion was underway aimed at supplying Colombia with military equipment, specialized training and intelligence.

The top US diplomat also portrayed the political shifts in Colombia and elsewhere as part of a broader regional realignment toward Washington.

After Ecuador, Rubio will travel to Peru, led since July by conservative President Keiko Fujimori.

There, he is expected to advance the "Shield of the Americas" initiative, a US-backed security partnership aimed at coordinating regional efforts against drug trafficking and transnational crime.

"We are synchronizing efforts to protect our hemisphere from transnational and regional threats by bringing Peru, now a major non-NATO ally, into the Shield of the Americas," Rubio said.

(K.Lee--TAG)