U.S. Designates Ecuador's Los Tiguerones Gang as Terrorist Organization

In a move that reflects the expanding grammar of American foreign policy, the U.S. State Department has formally designated Ecuador's Los Tiguerones gang as a terrorist organization — placing a profit-driven criminal enterprise on the same legal footing as ideological extremist groups. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's decision signals Washington's deepening concern over Latin American gang violence, even as scholars and practitioners question whether such designations can reach the informal financial worlds where these organizations actually live. The gesture carries weight as symbol and warni