Quito (TDI): The United States and Ecuador have launched joint military operations targeting powerful organized crime groups involved in violence and drug trafficking across the South American country.
This joint action reflects complex security cooperation between the two countries as Ecuador battles a surge in cartel-linked crime and has now positioned itself as a frontline partner in Washington’s regional anti-narcotics campaign.
The operations, announced this week by the US Southern Command and Ecuadorian authorities, are aimed at dismantling networks involved in cocaine trafficking, illegal mining, and other organized criminal activity.
According to reports, US involvement focuses primarily on intelligence sharing, logistics, and training for Ecuadorian commandos rather than direct participation in raids.
American special forces advisers are believed to be helping plan operations and analyze intelligence while Ecuadorian troops conduct on ground raids.
Officials have released few operational details, saying the information is classified, but confirmed that joint actions began in early March.
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Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, has pursued a hard-liner security strategy since taking office in 2023 amid a dramatic rise in gang violence.
Once considered a relatively peaceful country, Ecuador has become a major transit hub for cocaine shipments moving from neighboring Colombia and Peru toward North America and Europe. The expansion of trafficking routes has fueled deadly clashes among local gangs and international cartels.
Authorities say criminal groups such as Los Choneros and Los Lobos have expanded their influence through prison networks, port operations, and cross-border smuggling.
The United States has previously designated some of these organizations as terrorist groups, a step intended to expand the legal and financial options available to combat them.
The joint campaign is also part of a broader regional push by Washington to curb the flow of illicit drugs across the Western Hemisphere.
On the other hand, Ecuadorians have previously rejected the permanent return of foreign military bases in a referendum, which means direct US participation in these anti narcotics operations will not be welcomed.
