Rubio pledges $45 million more in security funding for Ecuador

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa in Quito on Wednesday, announcing he would seek $45 million in additional security funding from Congress along with more equipment to help the country combat drug trafficking. The stop was part of a broader tour through three Latin American nations whose leaders are seen as closely aligned with President Donald Trump's administration.

Rubio said Washington is deepening cooperation with Noboa's government to dismantle drug trafficking organizations, including through joint strikes on boats suspected of smuggling. He described these groups as possessing terrorist-like capabilities across the region, vowing they would be confronted and defeated.

New sanctions and gang designation

On Wednesday, Rubio designated the Ecuador-based gang Los Tiguerones as a foreign terrorist organization, following similar designations against two other Ecuadorian gangs last year. The State Department linked the group to narcotrafficking and other illegal activity, including the 2024 live takeover of an Ecuadorian television station. Rubio also announced sanctions against seven former Ecuadorian officials tied to bribery.

Beyond the security funding, the US plans a separate $10 million initiative targeting illegal gold mining, gang recruitment and illicit finance. Washington will also deliver a 110-foot Coast Guard cutter and five interceptor vessels to Ecuador's navy, adding to seven vessels already delivered this year.

Criticism over boat strikes

Rubio acknowledged that the US campaign against suspected drug boats has shifted toward joint strikes conducted with Ecuador, insisting the goal is targeting traffickers rather than fishermen. The broader US military campaign, known as Operation Southern Spear, has destroyed roughly 70 vessels and killed more than 220 people over the past year, drawing criticism from human rights groups and some regional leaders who call the strikes extrajudicial killings. Several incidents involving Ecuadorian fishing vessels bearing the hallmarks of US strikes remain unclaimed by Washington.