The United States and Ecuador have launched joint military operations to counter drug trafficking in the South American nation, officials from both countries confirmed this week. The U.S. Southern Command announced the mission on Tuesday, while Ecuador’s government stated the collaboration marks a new phase in its security strategy.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the U.S. Southern Command said the operations represent “decisive action” aimed at combating illicit drug trafficking. The command, which oversees U.S. military activities in Central and South America and the Caribbean, did not provide further operational details. Ecuador’s defense ministry similarly confirmed the operations but stated that specific details were classified.
The announcement followed a meeting in Quito on Monday between Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Francis Donovan of Southern Command, and Mark Schafer, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command South. A statement from President Noboa’s office reported that the meeting focused on plans for enhanced information sharing and operational coordination at Ecuador’s airports and seaports.
On Monday, the Ecuadorian government said it was entering a “new phase” in its security efforts with the help of “regional allies.” The government has identified drug cartels that use the country’s ports to ship cocaine as a primary security challenge.
Ecuador is located between Colombia and Peru, the world’s two largest cocaine-producing countries. According to international reports, a significant volume of the drugs produced in the region is transported through Ecuador to markets in North America and Europe. The increase in trafficking activities has been linked by officials to a sharp rise in violent crime within Ecuador in recent years.
Security cooperation between Washington and Quito has increased since President Noboa assumed office in 2023. Last year, Noboa’s administration supported a referendum proposal to amend the constitution to allow foreign military bases on Ecuadorian soil, but voters rejected the measure in November. In December, the U.S. announced a temporary deployment of Air Force personnel to a former U.S. base located in the port city of Manta to support security efforts.
