Up to $5 million offered for information leading to the arrest or conviction of a Los Choneros leader
The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Francisco Manuel Bermúdez Cagua, also known as “Churrón.” Bermúdez Cagua is a senior leader of Los Choneros, an Ecuador-based criminal organization involved in drug and weapons trafficking. Though a fugitive from justice, he was charged in federal court in New York in June 2025 with conspiracy to import cocaine and firearms offenses, while two co-defendants were already in custody.
Los Choneros controls key cocaine trafficking routes through Ecuador and has ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. The group was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States in September 2025, following Ecuador’s own terrorist designation earlier in 2024. The reward announcement is part of the U.S. Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) and complements prior sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department. The reward offer is being issued jointly with the government of Ecuador.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he oversees U.S. diplomatic engagements.
- For State Department and law enforcement officials involved in international counter-narcotics and public safety efforts.
- For U.S. and Ecuadorian authorities as they collaborate to address organized crime and regional security challenges.
Sources: Department of State
