The United States has launched military action in Ecuador, appearing to mark a significant escalation of the White House’s controversial sixth-month strike campaign against alleged drug boats.
U.S. forces are working alongside the Ecuadorian military to take “decisive action” against narcotrafficking organizations in the Latin American country, the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said on Tuesday.
“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,” SOUTHCOM chief, Marine General Francis Donovan, said in a statement announcing the start of American operations in the country.
Why It Matters
More than 150 people have been killed in U.S. strikes on suspected narcotrafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since the start of September, according to the administration’s numbers.
The U.S. government has framed the attacks as necessary to stymie the flow of drugs northward to the U.S. and protect American citizens. But the crackdown has attracted increasing congressional scrutiny and international concern, particularly after it emerged that U.S. forces killed survivors of the first attack in September with a follow-up strike.
Anti-trafficking operations have shaped much of President Donald Trump’s administration’s military activity south of the U.S. border. The U.S. last month provided intelligence to Mexican security forces that ultimately killed one of the country’s most-wanted drug barons, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho. The Mexican government had pushed back at Trump’s suggestion the U.S. could start “hitting land with regard to the cartels” in Mexico, but vowed to work closer with U.S. authorities in tackling drug cartels.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after elite U.S. forces swept into Caracas, striking the Venezuelan capital and capturing the country’s then-leader Nicolás Maduro. He remains in a New York detention center, facing narcoterrorism charges.
What To Know
The U.S. military offered no further details on the role that U.S. soldiers would have in operations in Ecuador. But an unnamed U.S. official told The New York Times that American special forces would support Ecuadorian commandos with planning, intelligence and logistics for drug busts.
Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa had said on Monday that the country was kicking off “a new phase” in its battles against drug trafficking and illegal mining. The country is known for its gold, copper, and silver exports.
Quito will start joint operations with its regional allies, including the U.S., from this month, Noboa said.
Noboa and senior Ecuadorian defense officials met with Donovan in Quito during his visit to the country on Sunday and Monday. On the agenda were joint security efforts and the U.S.’s “strong commitment” to supporting Ecuador’s anti-drug operations, SOUTHCOM said.
Last month, General Dan Caine, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.S.’s top soldier, hosted top defense and military officials from 34 countries for discussions on security, including drug trafficking, in the Western Hemisphere.
Update 3/4/2026 at 4.15 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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