The U.S. Embassy in Quito announced on Wednesday the launch of a “temporary operation” to combat drug trafficking, sending forces to Ecuador, which has become a major transit point for cocaine produced in the region, as part of the two countries’ joint security strategy.
اضافة اعلان
The deployment comes as the United States has been maintaining a large military presence in the Caribbean and Pacific regions since last summer, targeting boats that Washington claims are used for drug smuggling. These operations have raised questions about their legality and have resulted in at least 95 deaths since September.
The embassy welcomed the arrival of U.S. Air Force personnel in Ecuador on Wednesday as part of a “temporary operation with the Ecuadorian Air Force in Manta” on the Pacific coast (southwest), without specifying the number of troops or the duration of their stay.
Ecuador’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that American aircraft had delivered “military equipment” to the country several days ago.
According to the embassy, “The operation will enhance the Ecuadorian military’s capacity to combat drug trafficking, particularly by improving intelligence gathering and counter-narcotics capabilities, with the aim of protecting both the United States and Ecuador from the threats we face.”
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump in Latin America, stated that the joint operation “will allow us to identify and dismantle drug trafficking routes and hold accountable those who believe they can take over the country.”
Washington and Quito signed a military cooperation agreement in 2023. The embassy emphasized that “this short-term joint effort is part of our long-term bilateral security strategy, in accordance with current agreements under Ecuadorian law.”
In November, Ecuadorians rejected in a referendum a proposal by Noboa to allow the return of foreign military bases to the country. The U.S. Air Force previously operated a base in Manta until 2009.
The ports of Guayaquil and Manta have become major departure points for cocaine produced in neighboring countries, particularly Colombia and Peru, the world’s largest producers. This has transformed Ecuador, once considered a safe haven, into a battleground between criminal gangs.
— AFP
