GuayaquilThe Tiguerones split into rival factions after their leader’s 2024 arrest.
The label reaches ordinary Esmeraldas residents through “support network” powers, not a command structure.
Terrorism designations target groups with named leaders, so labeling a fragmented gang expands sanctions past any real chain of command.
Ecuador designated the group two years before Washington’s own listing this month.
How each outlet framed it
- InSight Crime
- emphasizes group's fragmentation into competing cartels despite FTO designation, questioning cohesion
Sources: InSight Crime