US and Ecuador launch military operation against organized crime groups

Military forces from Ecuador and the United States have begun joint military operations against organized crime groups in the South American country, the Pentagon said, although as of Wednesday specific details, including the location and scope of the operation, remained scarce.

U.S. Southern Command said in a statement late Tuesday that Ecuadorian and U.S. military forces had launched “operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador,” calling the actions a “powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.”

A 30-second video accompanying a post on X showed a helicopter flying over a group of men walking on the ground, but the footage stops without revealing the following steps.

“We are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere,” the post added, without providing other details of the operation.

Ecuador’s foreign and defense ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. The operation was not mentioned Wednesday at the Pentagon briefing , which was focused on Iran .

The announcement comes after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa revealed earlier this week that his government has initiated a new phase in the fight against organized crime with joint actions alongside allied countries, as Ecuador faces a sustained wave of violence linked to crimes such as drug trafficking and illegal mining.

“Ecuador demands security, our people need to live in peace,” said Noboa, adding that military and police forces will be involved in the operations he described as “very important.”

Ecuador maintains good relations with the United States, Israel and Italy, among others, often collaborating on security issues.

In February, Noboa ordered the foreign ministry to seek cooperation agreements with “allied nations” that would allow “the incorporation of special forces” on a temporary basis as support for the Ecuadorian police and armed forces.

Authorities identify Ecuador as a critical logistical hub in the global drug trade, where drugs — particularly cocaine — are stockpiled, stored and distributed, especially from the northern border with Colombia .

The shipments are transported from its ports to Central America, the United States and Europe.

五角大楼表示，厄瓜多尔和美国的军队已开始在南美国家厄瓜多尔境内对有组织犯罪集团展开联合军事行动，但截至周三，包括行动地点和规模在内的具体细节仍然很少。

美国南方司令部周二晚间发表声明称，厄瓜多尔和美国军队已在厄瓜多尔境内对“指定恐怖组织”展开“行动”，并称这些行动是“拉丁美洲和加勒比地区合作伙伴致力于打击毒品恐怖主义祸害的有力例证”。

X 上的一篇帖子附带了一段 30 秒的视频，视频中一架直升机飞过一群在地面上行走的男子，但画面戛然而止，没有显示接下来的步骤。

该帖子还补充道：“我们正在采取果断行动，打击长期以来在整个西半球对公民实施恐怖、暴力和腐败的毒品恐怖分子”，但没有提供行动的其他细节。

厄瓜多尔外交部和国防部尚未回复美联社的置评请求。周三五角大楼的新闻发布会上并未提及此次行动，发布会的重点是伊朗问题。

此前，厄瓜多尔总统丹尼尔·诺沃亚在本周早些时候透露，由于厄瓜多尔正面临与毒品走私和非法采矿等犯罪活动相关的持续暴力浪潮，他的政府已与盟国采取联合行动，启动打击有组织犯罪的新阶段。

“厄瓜多尔需要安全，我们的人民需要生活在和平之中，”诺博亚说，并补充说，军警部队将参与他称之为“非常重要”的行动。

厄瓜多尔与美国、以色列和意大利等国保持着良好的关系，经常在安全问题上进行合作。

今年2月，诺博亚下令外交部寻求与“盟国”达成合作协议，允许“临时吸纳特种部队”以支援厄瓜多尔警察和武装部队。

当局认为厄瓜多尔是全球毒品贸易的重要物流枢纽，毒品（尤其是可卡因）在这里被囤积、储存和分销，特别是从与哥伦比亚接壤的北部边境。

这些货物从其港口运往中美洲、美国和欧洲。