Ecuadorean and US forces launch coordinated operations against groups designated as terrorist organisations, targeting drug-trafficking networks in the South American country, according to the US Southern Command. The announcement comes a day after President Daniel Noboa confirmed the US is part of a “new phase” in Ecuador’s fight against drug cartels.
Ecuador’s strategic location neighbouring Colombia and Peru, the world’s top cocaine producers, and hosting major ports makes it a hub for illicit cocaine trafficking, with around 70% of the world’s supply reportedly passing through the country.
The joint operations follow discussions between Noboa and US Southern Command chief Francis Donovan, and Mark Schafer, focusing on information sharing and operational coordination at ports and airports.
“Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere,” said the US Southern Command in a statement.
This initiative comes months after Ecuadoreans rejected a referendum allowing the return of foreign military bases, a decision seen as a setback to expanding US regional presence. In recent years, Ecuador has become one of the world’s largest drug-trafficking hotspots.
Since September, the US has conducted over 40 strikes on suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. In January, Washington seized Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of “narco-terrorism” and facilitating cocaine transport to the United States.
The coordinated campaign signals the Trump administration’s continued priority of combating organised crime and curbing cocaine shipments from South America, while also strengthening US-Ecuadorian security collaboration in the region.
Erizia Rubyjeana
Follow us on:
