Ecuadorean and United States forces have launched operations against designated terrorist organizations in Ecuador targeting illicit drug trafficking, the US military’s Southern Command said Tuesday.
The Southern Command announced the action in a statement on X but did not provide additional details.
The announcement came one day after Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa said the United States was among “regional allies” taking part in a “new phase” of Ecuador’s war against drug cartels.
Sources gathered that Noboa says around 70 per cent of the world’s cocaine now flows through Ecuador’s huge ports, making it a lucrative location for drug trafficking gangs. Ecuador also borders Colombia and Peru, the world’s two largest cocaine producers.
The latest operations come four months after Ecuadoreans voted against allowing the return of foreign military bases in the country, dashing US hopes of expanding its presence in the eastern Pacific region.
The referendum result was a blow to Noboa, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, who is trying to fight organised crime and reduce soaring violence. In recent years, Ecuador has become one of the world’s biggest drug trafficking hotspots.
Leaders Discuss Information Sharing And Operational Plans
Noboa held talks in Quito on Monday with US Southern Command chief Francis Donovan and Mark Schafer, head of US Special Operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean.
The officials discussed plans for information sharing and operational coordination at airports and seaports during the meeting, Noboa’s office said in a statement.
“Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere,” the US Southern Command said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the announcement came three months after the United States announced a temporary deployment of Air Force personnel to the former US base in the port city of Manta.
Tackling drug trafficking in the region remains a key priority for the United States.
The Trump administration has also carried out more than 40 lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean since September.
Ashenews reported in January that in the war against organised crime and cartels, US forces seized Venezuela’s then-President Nicolás Maduro. American authorities accused him of “narco-terrorism” and enabling the transport of “thousands of tonnes” of cocaine to the United States.
Trump met his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro at the White House last month after months of rising tensions between the pair.
Trump has repeatedly accused Petro and his administration of failing to stem the flow of drugs to the United States, suggesting that expanded strikes could also target Colombia.
