American forces are now assisting in Ecuador's fight against drug gangs. The Pentagon on Tuesday confirmed joint operations with Ecuadorian troops targeting what it calls "designated terrorist organizations" in the South American hub for cocaine trafficking, marking a notable expansion of US military activity that had largely focused on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. US Special Forces are advising Ecuadorian commandos, providing intelligence, logistics, and help with planning raids on alleged drug facilities across the country, a US official told the New York Times, while stressing Americans are not believed to be joining the actual raids.
Southern Command released brief footage of a helicopter operation it said was part of the new campaign but offered no details on targets or results. The operations follow a visit to Quito by Gen. Francis L. Donovan and come as President Daniel Noboa seeks closer security ties with Washington after voters rejected US bases on Ecuadorian soil last year. During a visit to Ecuador in September, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would "blow up" criminal groups if necessary, per Politico. The Trump administration has already drawn criticism from legal experts over at least 44 lethal strikes on suspected drug boats since September; they argue the attacks amount to unlawful killings because the government has not shown the targets posed an imminent threat.
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