U.S. and Ecuadorian forces announced drug-trafficking military crackdown operations in Ecuador on Tuesday.
The big picture: U.S. Southern Command in a Tuesday night statement said the operations targeted "Designated Terrorist Organizations" and hailed the cooperation as "a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism."
- SOUTHCOM's commander, Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, met in Quito with senior Ecuadorian officials including President Daniel Noboa on Sunday and Monday "to discuss security cooperation" and reaffirm the U.S. "commitment to supporting the nation's efforts to confront narco-terrorism and strengthen regional security," per an earlier statement.
Driving the news: The military announcements came hours after Noboa said on Facebook that there would be "joint operations with regional allies, including the United States" in March as his nation began "a new phase against drug terrorism and illegal mining."
- The U.S. Embassy in Ecuador earlier on Tuesday shared on X images that it said were the result of a successful joint operation between the United States, the European Union's Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and Ecuadorian authorities:
Zoom in: The operation dismantled the transnational drug trafficking organization associated with Hernán Ruilova Barzola and linked to the Los Lobos cartel, per the post.
- The Drug Enforcement Agency said on X "16 suspects were arrested, and 6 tons of cocaine were seized in Europe" during this operation that involved the DEA's Europe division.
Between the lines: Targeting drug trafficking has been a priority of President Trump's second term and the U.S. military is estimated to have carried out more than 40 deadly strikes in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean in the past six months.
- In January, Trump ordered a raid on Nicolás Maduro's fortified compound in Caracas that resulted in the Venezuelan leader's capture and subsequent arrest on charges related to alleged drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies, to which he's pleaded not guilty.
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Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.
