Trump admin offers $5M reward for Los Choneros gang leader designated terrorist

The Trump administration is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the leader of Los Choneros, a gang that the State Department designated a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in September.

The State Department’s Narcotics Reward Program announced Thursday the reward for Ecuadorian fugitive Francisco Manuel Bermúdez Cagua, also known as “Churron,” because the gang he belongs to is allegedly responsible for smuggling drugs and guns into the United States and committing extreme acts of violence.

The 29-year-old was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine internationally, international distribution of cocaine and use of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, according to a superseding indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York filed charges, and the superseding indictment was unsealed in June.

Trump warns we could launch ground operations inside Venezuela ‘very soon,’ says regime has sent ‘killers’ to America.

The United States is offering a $5 million reward to alleged lieutenant Francisco Bermúdez Cagua de Los Choneros, accused of cocaine trafficking and acts of violence. (Ministry of Justice)

“As alleged, Bermúdez Cagua is a senior lieutenant in the leadership of Los Choneros, a highly violent foreign terrorist organization responsible for bringing drugs into the United States, causing harm to our communities, and wreaking havoc in its homeland of Ecuador,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. of the Eastern District of New York.

“The significant reward offered by the State Department underscores our determination to bring the leaders of Los Choneros to justice in a U.S. courthouse and to eradicate these organizations.”

Alleged co-conspirator José Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known as “Fito,” 46, was extradited to New York in July 2025. The Justice Department said he was an Ecuadorian citizen who also faced international drug and firearms trafficking charges.

Darío Javier Peñafiel Nieto, also known as “Topo,” 35, is an alleged co-conspirator in the superseding indictment and is detained in Ecuador.

COAST GUARD HELICOPTER SNIPER EXTRACTS ENGINES FROM NARCO-BOATS IN STUNNING EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

Ecuadorian police forces conduct a security operation in the fight against extortion gangs in a slum in northeast Guayaquil, Ecuador, April 4, 2024. (Gerardo Menoscal/AFP via Getty Images)

“We will use every tool at our disposal to stop the brutal criminals who traffic deadly drugs into our country,” said Chris Landberg of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

“We are offering a reward of up to $5 million through the Narcotics Rewards program for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Bermúdez Cagua.”

The indictment alleges that Los Choneros was one of the most violent transnational criminal organizations operating in Ecuador.

The group’s network transported multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America, routing the shipments to Central America, Mexico and the United States, among other places, according to the indictment.

MODEL, DJ LINKED TO VIOLENT GANG LEADER TREN DE ARAGUA SANCTIONED BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Soldiers stand guard outside the Zone 8 prison in Guayaquil, Ecuador, January 11, 2024. (Henry Romero/Reuters)

The alleged co-conspirators are accused of directing and ordering acts of violence to advance the organization’s goals.

The State Department designated Los Choneros as an FTO in September 2025.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Bermúdez Cagua is a high-ranking narcoterrorist whose actions fueled the flow of cocaine into the United States and sowed chaos in Ecuador,” said U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terrance Cole. “The DEA is determined to turn up the heat and bring this dangerous individual to justice.”

The DEA encourages anyone with information on the whereabouts of Bermúdez Cagua to contact the agency at Equatortips@dea.gov or +593-988-292-235. All information will remain confidential.