The United States has sanctioned Los Lobos, a powerful crime gang based in Ecuador with ties to violence across the country and drug trafficking in the surrounding region, the U.S. Treasury Department announced on Thursday.

Sanctions were imposed on the trafficking organization and its leader, Wilmer Geovanny Chavarria Barre, who also goes by “Pipo,” the Treasury said in a news release.

U.S. officials have deemed Los Lobos the largest drug trafficking ring in Ecuador and said the gang “contributes significantly to the violence gripping the country.” Its network includes thousands of members backed by Mexico’s Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación — New Generation — and Sinaloa Cartel, which makes the gang particularly dangerous.