US and Ecuador Launch Joint Anti-Drug Operation

The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has begun coordinated operations with Ecuador to disrupt drug trafficking networks it says are linked to groups designated as terrorist organizations. Ecuador’s Defense Ministry confirmed the campaign is underway but declined to provide details, citing classification. In September, the US designated two Ecuadorian gangs, Los Choneros and Los Lobos, as foreign terrorist organizations. The initiative is part of a broader US push against illicit drug production and smuggling from Latin America, which has included recent strikes on suspected trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, described as an ally of US President Donald Trump, said the country was entering a new phase in the fight against narco-terrorism after meeting SOUTHCOM leaders in Quito. Since Noboa took office in 2023, Washington and Quito have deepened security cooperation, with officials saying talks covered information sharing and coordinated operations at airports and seaports. Ecuador is widely seen as a transit corridor for cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru, with shipments moved through its ports toward markets in the US and Europe, and the drug trade has driven violent turf battles between rival smuggling groups.