U.S. and Ecuadorian authorities conducted a joint operation on Friday targeting drug trafficking networks in Ecuador. Officials described the action as “lethal kinetic operations,” employing helicopters, aircraft, river boats, and drones to locate and strike a training camp for drug traffickers in northeastern Ecuador near the Colombian border.
Details of the ‘Total Extermination’ Raid
Ecuadorian defense officials named the mission “Total Extermination.” The targeted site belonged to the Comandos de la Frontera (CDF), a Colombian criminal group composed of FARC dissidents, with capacity for up to 50 individuals. Neither U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military forces in Latin America, nor Ecuador’s defense ministry disclosed details on casualties or captures.
Broader Context and U.S. Involvement
The strike follows a similar U.S.-Ecuador operation announced earlier this week. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated on X, “At the request of Ecuador, the Department of Defense executed targeted action to advance our shared objective of dismantling narco-terrorist networks.” Ecuador’s defense ministry emphasized, “The United States is a key ally in this fight.”
President Daniel Noboa has prioritized a military crackdown on organized crime. His administration recently imposed tariffs on neighboring Colombia, citing insufficient efforts against drug trafficking.
Noboa plans to attend the Trump administration’s “Shield of the Americas” summit in Miami this weekend, where regional leaders will discuss security and organized crime strategies.
