🇺🇸🇪🇨 U.S. and Ecuador Launch Joint Operations Against Drug Terror Groups
US and Ecuadorian forces launched joint operations Tuesday targeting suspected narco-terrorists in Ecuador, US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said.
SOUTHCOM said it was taking “decisive action” against designated terrorist organizations, though it was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties.
“On March 3, Ecuadorian and US military forces launched operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador,” SOUTHCOM posted on X.
“The operations are a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.”
SOUTHCOM added: “Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere.”
SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan praised Ecuador’s military for joining the US in the operations.
“We commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces for their unwavering commitment to this fight, demonstrating courage and resolve through continued actions against narco-terrorists in their country,” he said.
The US Embassy in Ecuador said Tuesday the United States “successfully concluded a joint operation” with Europol and Ecuadorian authorities dismantling the Hernán Ruilova Barzola transnational drug trafficking organization, which it said is linked to the Los Lobos cartel.
The announcement follows a series of US strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
Last week, US forces struck a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean tied to designated terrorist organizations, killing three suspected traffickers.
