Bogotá, Colombia – The United States and Ecuadorian militaries announced the beginning of joint operations against drug trafficking in Ecuador yesterday, according to the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
The first offensive targeted the Comandos de la Frontera, a Colombian armed group active on both sides of the border with Ecuador, according to Ecuador’s Joint Command.
The announcement comes amid soaring domestic violence in Ecuador and is the latest sign of the White House’s increasingly aggressive counter-narcotics policy, which has included boat bombing campaigns in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
“Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere,” read a statement by SOUTHCOM released Tuesday.
The announcement included a video showing military helicopters taking off, as well as aerial footage of helicopters hovering above marching soldiers.
Ecuadorian officials offered more details in a press conference on Wednesday, saying the operations are targeting illegal mining and will continue for “an undetermined period of time.”
While drug trafficking is a significant source of income for criminal organizations, illegal gold mining has become increasingly prominent in recent years as the price of the precious metal soars.
Although the first operation targeted the Comandos de la Frontera, analysts say it could be expanded to include a host of U.S.-designated terrorist organizations in Ecuador.
“We can also expect operations to focus on Ecuadorian groups such as Los Lobos and Los Choneros, both subject to U.S. sanctions and designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the Trump administration,” said Glaeldys González Calanche, Southern Andes analyst at the International Crisis Group.
She noted that Los Lobos are particularly involved in illegal gold mining.
Last month, Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa signed two military cooperation agreements with Washington in a bid to help tackle organized crime in the country; Ecuador has had the highest homicide rate in Latin America for the past three years, with murders rising by over 40% in 2025.
The violence is largely linked to transnational organized crime, with Ecuador becoming in recent years a key departure point for contraband including gold and cocaine.
Washington has made counter-narcotics a key tenet of its foreign policy; beginning in September, it has reported 41 attacks against alleged drug vessels in Latin America, killing 152 people.
But analysts say the White House’s approach to tackling organized crime is unlikely to produce long-term results.
“These operations that rely heavily on firepower may affect illicit operations or weaken criminal groups, but they will not provide lasting solutions to the country’s security crisis,’ said González.
“Such measures overlook the deeper drivers of organized crime, such as collusion between illegal groups and officials in ports and within state institutions, a prison system under criminal control, and weak social safety nets,” added the analyst.
Featured image description: Screenshot of video of helicopter taking off as part of US-Ecuador joint operations.
Featured image credit: SOUTHCOM
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