The United States (US) has opened another military front in Ecuador amid the current war with Iran.
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, he hinted that the operations were part of President Donald Trump’s intensified campaign against drug trafficking in South America.
The Commander of the United States Southern Command praised Ecuadorian residents for their support and unwavering commitment.
Marine Corps General Francis L. Donovan said, “The men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces have demonstrated remarkable courage and determination through continued action 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, killing about 150 people in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean.
Ecuador has been in a state of emergency over narcoterrorism since 2024 after gangs broke into a television channel during a live broadcast and took staff hostage.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa asked the United States for help against drug trafficking gangs.
On a visit to the South American country in September last year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised to “blow up” the gangs if necessary and reaffirmed US support for the Ecuadorian government’s campaign against narco-terrorists.
