Members of the Ecuadorian Army began to deploy in Guayaquil in June to four of Ecuador’s most violent provinces to bolster operations against organized crime after President Daniel Noboa declared a new state of emergency in nearly half the country, File Photo by Jonathan Miranda/EPA
Aug. 21 (UPI) — Ecuador’s Defense Ministry said it is conducting joint military operations with the U.S. Southern Command against drug cartels near the border with Colombia.
The operations are concentrated primarily in the coastal province of Esmeraldas, which has been plagued by killings, kidnappings and extortion by drug trafficking groups that use Pacific ports to ship drugs to the United States and Europe.
Ecuadorian Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo confirmed the arrival of three Black Hawk helicopters and two U.S. warships at the port of Manta as part of an effort to triple maritime patrol capabilities against drug-running boats.
“We are going to triple our interdiction capabilities in the maritime zone,” Loffredo said in a video posted on X with military-style music playing in the background.
The operations come after the Ecuadorian government issued a decree this week allowing U.S. military personnel to remain in Ecuador for up to 180 days without visas and granting them exemptions from immigration requirements, local broadcaster Teleamazonas reported.
The operations are part of the “Shield of the Americas” alliance, a U.S.-led coalition of about 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries aimed at combating drug trafficking.
U.S. Southern Command personnel have been operating in Esmeraldas for some time, provincial Gov. Juan Jaramillo told local reporters.
Jaramillo did not say when U.S. personnel were deployed, how many are participating in the operations or how long they will remain in the province.
The governor said U.S. military personnel have conducted intelligence operations alongside the Ecuadorian Navy and will focus primarily on San Lorenzo and Eloy Alfaro, areas affected by drug trafficking and illegal mining, La FM reported.
Jaramillo also highlighted Colombia’s participation in the security operations, saying police and armed forces from both countries are sharing intelligence, information and operational targets.
The governor linked the cooperation to Colombia’s new political landscape after Abelardo de la Espriella’s inauguration as president of the neighboring country.
Washington and Quito have conducted joint operations for months targeting criminal groups in Ecuador as the country struggles with a wave of violence.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has pursued a tough-on-crime strategy since taking office in 2023. However, the country’s homicide rate has remained high, reaching a record 52 killings per 100,000 people last year.