Overview
- During a visit to Quito, Marco Rubio announced U.S. designations of Ecuador’s Los Lobos and Los Choneros as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
- Rubio pledged nearly $20 million to bolster Ecuador’s security, including $13.5 million for operations and $6 million for naval drones.
- He described Nicolás Maduro as a fugitive from U.S. justice and signaled a more aggressive posture toward transnational criminal groups.
- Washington says a recent strike in international waters hit a Tren de Aragua fast boat transporting narcotics and left 11 people dead.
- Local reporting says the vessel departed San Juan de Unare en route to Trinidad and Tobago as residents mourned the dead, while Caracas condemned the operation.