U.S. Deploys Commandos in Ecuador as Loosened Rules Expand Operations Beyond Traditional Battlefields: REPORT

American forces operated in advisory roles, assisting Ecuadorian troops as part of broader counter-narcotics efforts, officials told CBS News.

The deployment follows policy changes under Donald Trump that reduced constraints on U.S. commanders to authorize special operations and airstrikes outside conventional war zones. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously confirmed that the administration expanded the range of targets and the authority of commanders to act.

"The operations are a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism," Marine Gen. Francis Donovan said at the start of the operations in Ecuador in early March. The White House described the effort as part of a broader campaign to confront criminal networks across the hemisphere.

The Ecuador operation is part of a wider strategy that has included air and maritime strikes against suspected drug-smuggling vessels. Since September 2025, at least 47 such strikes have been carried out in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in more than 150 deaths, according to reporting cited by officials.

Critics have questioned the legal basis for these actions, noting that drug trafficking is generally treated as a criminal matter under international law.

Questions have also emerged about the accuracy of intelligence used in some operations. A New York Times investigation published last week found that a site previously described as a drug-trafficking camp targeted with U.S. support was, according to local residents and workers, a dairy farm. Witnesses alleged that Ecuadorian troops burned structures and mistreated workers, while Ecuador's military said it recovered weapons and other evidence of illicit activity at the location.

The escalation comes as Ecuador faces a sharp rise in violence linked to organized crime. The country's homicide rate increased from 6.7 per 100,000 people in 2020 to 44.5 in 2025, according to a U.S. refugee report, as trafficking networks expanded operations along key Pacific routes.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has sought closer security ties with Washington, framing the collaboration as a necessary response. "We are beginning a new phase in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal mining," Noboa said.