Ecuadorian and U.S. military forces on Tuesday launched operations against “Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador,” U.S. Southern Command announced. “The operations are a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism,” U.S. Southern Command stated. “Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere,” it added. “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,” said Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command. On March 3, Ecuadorian and U.S. military forces launched operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador. The operations are a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism. Together,… pic.twitter.com/MrkKZcrDbs — U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) March 4, 2026 POLITICO shared further: Since President Donald Trump took office, the U.S. has taken aggressive steps to curb the flow of drugs from the Southern hemisphere. The administration has conducted about 45 strikes against suspected smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, killing more than 150 people. In January, U.S. military forces executed a raid in Venezuela to capture President Nicolas Maduro and take him to New York to face charges that include drug trafficking. Security in Ecuador has deteriorated in recent years. The Andean nation has become a major hub for cocaine trafficking. The situation took a dramatic turn in January 2024, when gangs stormed a TV station, taking staff hostage during a live broadcast and launched a wave of violence that prompted President Daniel Noboa to declare a state of emergency. Since then, the government has been engaged in a low-level internal armed conflict with the gangs as it tries to stabilize the nation. Noboa has courted the Trump administration over the past year in the hopes of securing assistance. He came to Washington for Trump’s second inauguration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Ecuador in September, and told reporters that the U.S. would “blow up” criminal groups if needed. Last November, Ecuadorians rejected a referendum to allow foreign military bases in the country. Ecuador President Daniel Noboa is allowing Trump to deploy US troops in his country even though his proposal to allow US military bases in Ecuador was resoundingly defeated by Ecuadorians in a referendum last November. https://t.co/vnUvMMrE78 — Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) March 5, 2026 NPR reported last November: The proposal was heavily backed by Noboa as a crucial step to confront drug traffickers and violent gangs. Homicide rates in some Ecuadorian cities are amongst the world’s highest, as local gangs, backed by international trafficking cartels fight for territory. The president says roughly 70% of global cocaine flows through the country. Even so, voters decisively opposed the plan. Voters also rejected measures to cut public funding for political parties, create a constitutional assembly to rewrite the country’s constitution and reduce the size of Congress. For many, the vote was a referendum on Noboa’s leadership. Rosita Guichimillo, a 48-year-old Quito homemaker, said she feared the constitutional revisions would place too much power in the president’s hands. “If he rewrites the constitution, he’ll do it to serve himself … and ruin the country even more,” Guichimillo said as she voted in the Ecuadorian capital under light showers. Ecuador has been battered by a surge in gang violence as criminal groups aligned with international cartels fight for control of trafficking routes. Coastal communities have been hit particularly hard, with struggling fishermen often coerced or recruited with promises of quick cash. “Ecuador sits on basically a river of cocaine,” said Adam Isacson, director for defense oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America, according to USA TODAY. Ecuadorian forces sank a "narco sub" near its northern border as the nation works with the United States military to crack down on organized crime in the country. https://t.co/NLIke0aMf8 — CBS News (@CBSNews) March 5, 2026 USA TODAY noted: The country also has rampant corruption, Isacson said, which has allowed organized crime to flourish. Since taking office in 2023, Noboa has taken a hardline approach to fight crime, similar to Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, another right-wing Trump ally who has overseen drops in crime with aggressive crackdowns that have suspended democratic and judicial norms in El Salvador. However, while Noboa has also been accused of human rights abuses, crime in Ecuador has continued to rise. Farah said militarized approaches to Latin American drug cartels can yield short-term gains. But, he added, drug traffickers typically seek to influence government rather than fight it, resulting in entrenched corruption in military ranks.