The United States and Ecuador have initiated joint military operations targeting drug trafficking, according to a statement from US Southern Command on Tuesday. The command, which oversees military operations across 31 countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean, described the action as 'decisive' against illicit drug trafficking.
Ecuador's defence ministry confirmed the offensive operations but stated that details remain classified. The announcement follows a declaration by Ecuador's government that Washington had joined a 'new phase' in its war on drugs.
President Daniel Noboa, a close ally of Donald Trump, said the US was among 'regional allies' participating in operations against drug cartels that use Ecuador's ports to smuggle cocaine to international markets. On Monday, Noboa met with US Southern Command chief Francis Donovan and Mark Schafer, head of US special operations in the region, to discuss information sharing and operational coordination at airports and seaports.
Approximately 70% of cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru, the world's top two producers, is shipped through Ecuador. The drug trade has fuelled violent turf wars, transforming one of Latin America's safest nations into one of its deadliest in recent years.
Security cooperation between the US and Ecuador has intensified since Noboa took office in 2023. Last year, he proposed reopening a former US military base in Manta, but a November referendum upheld a ban on foreign bases. In December, the US announced a temporary deployment of air force personnel to the former base.
