US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced a $45 million security funding package for Ecuador and pledged additional naval vessels, as the Trump administration deepens its security partnerships with conservative Latin American governments in a campaign against drug trafficking. Rubio made the announcement during a visit to Quito, Ecuador's capital, as part of a three-country South American tour that also took him to Colombia and will conclude in Peru. The funding, which requires congressional approval, is accompanied by a separate $10 million initiative targeting illegal gold mining, gang recruitment and illicit finance.

Alongside the financial commitments, Rubio announced the transfer of a 110-foot Coast Guard cutter and five interceptor vessels to Ecuador's navy, supplementing seven vessels already delivered this year. He also designated Los Tiguerones, an Ecuador-based drug trafficking ring linked to a violent live takeover of a national television station in 2024, as a foreign terrorist organisation — the latest in a series of such designations targeting Latin American criminal groups. Rubio praised Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, the country's youngest modern president, as