The United States (US) has opened another military front in Ecuador amid the ongoing Iran war.
According to the US military’s Southern Command, US and Ecuadorian forces launched joint military operations against “designated terrorist organizations.”
The military did not provide further details; however, it suggested the operations were part of President Donald Trump’s intensified campaign against drug trafficking in South America.
The commander of the US Southern Command praised the Ecuadorian people for their support and unwavering commitment.
Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan said, “The men and women of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces have shown remarkable courage and determination through continued operations against narco-terrorists in their country.”
Since returning to the Oval Office for his second term, President Trump has intensified the campaign against what the US administration describes as drug trafficking.
The United States has carried out about 45 attacks on suspected smuggling vessels that killed about 150 people in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Ecuador has been under a state of emergency regarding narco-terrorism since 2024, after gangs stormed a television station during a live broadcast and took staff hostage.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa sought help from the United States against drug-trafficking gangs.
On a visit to the South American country last September, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to “blow up” gangs if necessary and reaffirmed US support in the Ecuadorian government’s campaign against narco-terrorists.
