Military operations in Ecuador

US launches military operations in Ecuador

The joint military operation with Ecuador targeted what the U.S. called "designated terrorist organizations" in the country.

By Aaron Pellish and Eric Bazail-Eimil

U.S. forces have launched military operations with Ecuador against “designated terrorist organizations” inside the South American country, Southern Command said Tuesday.

The military released no details on the operations but suggested in a statement that it was an extension of strikes carried out by the Trump administration against suspected drug trafficking organizations in the region.

“We commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces for their unwavering commitment to this fight, demonstrating courage and resolve through continued actions against narco-terrorists in their country,” said Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command.

Since President Donald Trump took office, the U.S. has taken aggressive steps to curb the flow of drugs from the Southern hemisphere. The administration has conducted about 45 strikes against suspected smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, killing more than 150 people.

In January, U.S. military forces executed a raid in Venezuela to capture President Nicolas Maduro and take him to New York to face charges that include drug trafficking.

Security in Ecuador has deteriorated in recent years. The Andean nation has become a major hub for cocaine trafficking.

The situation took a dramatic turn in January 2024, when gangs stormed a TV station, taking staff hostage during a live broadcast and launched a wave of violence that prompted President Daniel Noboa to declare a state of emergency. Since then, the government has been engaged in a low-level internal armed conflict with the gangs as it tries to stabilize the nation.

Noboa has courted the Trump administration over the past year in the hopes of securing assistance. He came to Washington for Trump’s second inauguration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Ecuador in September, and told reporters that the U.S. would “blow up” criminal groups if needed.

During Rubio’s trip to Ecuador, the U.S. designated two criminal groups in Ecuador, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, as terrorist organizations.

Until now, the U.S. had conducted military operations near Ecuador but had not publicly disclosed anything inside the country.

The Coast Guard had been deployed in the eastern Pacific, off the coast of Ecuador, Colombia and other countries, helping interdict cocaine shipments in a mission known as Operation Pacific Viper.

After the operation to capture Maduro, Trump did not rule out using military force against targets in other countries in the name of combatting drug trafficking. The expectation, however, had been that Trump would conduct strikes in Mexico and Colombia, both of which have a more significant role in the drug trade.