The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said it has begun joint operations with Ecuador to target drug trafficking carried out by groups it described as “designated terrorist organizations.” SOUTHCOM called the effort “a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.”
Ecuador’s Defense Ministry confirmed the operations were underway but declined to provide further details, citing classification.
In September, the US designated two Ecuadorian gangs, Los Choneros and Los Lobos, as foreign terrorist organizations.
The operations come as the US steps up efforts against illicit drug production and trafficking originating in Latin America, including recent strikes on suspected smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, an ally of US President Donald Trump, said Ecuador was “embarking on 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 strengthened security cooperation. Noboa’s office said the talks with SOUTHCOM included plans for information sharing and coordinated operations at airports and seaports.
Ecuador is widely viewed as a transit route for cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru, with shipments moved through ports toward markets in the US and Europe. The drug trade has also fueled a violent turf war in Ecuador between rival smuggling groups.
