The United States and Ecuador have initiated joint military operations targeting drug trafficking, according to a statement from the US Southern Command on Tuesday. The command, which oversees operations across 31 countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean, described the mission as 'decisive action' against illicit drug trafficking, though no further details were provided.
Ecuador's defence ministry confirmed the operations but stated that specifics were classified. The announcement follows a declaration by Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa that Washington had joined a 'new phase' in the country's war on drugs. Noboa, a close ally of Donald Trump, said the US was among 'regional allies' taking part in operations against drug cartels that use Ecuadorian 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 Central and South America and the Caribbean, in Quito. Discussions focused on information sharing and operational coordination at airports and seaports, according to a statement from Noboa's office.
Approximately 70% of cocaine produced by Colombia and Peru, the world's two largest producers, is shipped through Ecuador. The drug trade has sparked 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.
Noboa previously pushed to reopen a shuttered US military base, but a November referendum rejected overturning a ban on foreign bases. In December, the US announced a temporary deployment of air force personnel to the former base in the port city of Manta.
