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QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — The United States and Ecuador on Thursday
signed a bilateral agreement aimed at strengthening their
collaboration against transnational criminal networks.
The agreement, signed during a visit of U.S. Homeland Security
Secretary Kristi Noem to the South American country, facilitates
the exchange of information on suspected criminal offenders and
risk assessments of cargo and travelers. Noem told reporters the
efforts are “crucial steps to improve security and ensure that
migration is carried out within the framework of the law.”
The deal with Ecuador comes as the administration of U.S.
President Donald Trump seeks to bolster regional cooperation in
its clampdown against immigration and transnational criminal
groups, including Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan gang designated
as a foreign terrorist organization by the White House earlier
this year.
On Wednesday, Noem signed a similar agreement with Chile, which
she visited as part of her latest tour of Latin America. That
agreement allows Chilean officials to identify potentially
dangerous migrants entering or exiting the country and share
their fingerprints, iris scans and other biometric data with
Homeland Security to prevent such individuals from traveling to
the U.S.
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