US gives Ecuador nearly $20 million in new funding, drones to fight drug gangs

The United States announced nearly $20 million in new security commitments for Ecuador during a visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, as Washington seeks to buoy allies in its crackdown on drug cartels.

The commitments include over $13 million in general security funding, plus $6 million for drones for the Ecuadorean Navy, Rubio said. The United States also designated two Ecuadorean criminal groups, Los Choneros and Los Lobos, as foreign terrorist organizations, Rubio said.