The US has launched military operations in yet another country.
The US military is working alongside Ecuadorian forces to take “decisive action” against what it described as designated narco-trafficking organisations in Ecuador. Operations began on Tuesday, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said in a post on X, adding the military action is aimed at combating the “scourge of narco-terrorism”.
A 30-second video accompanying the post showed a helicopter flying over a group of men walking on the ground.
SOUTHCOM Commander Gen Francis L. Donovan said: “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.”
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It comes after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said earlier this week that his government has entered a new phase in its fight against organised crime with joint actions alongside allied countries. Ecuador is grappling with a sustained wave of violence linked to drug trafficking and illegal mining.
“Ecuador demands security, our people need to live in peace,” Noboa said, adding that military and police forces will be involved in in what he described as “very important” operations.
The Trump administration has made tackling drug trafficking in the region a key priority. US forces have carried out more than 40 strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean since September, killing at least 151 people.
President Donald Trump has said the US is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America, arguing that the attacks are a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the US. But the administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists”.
Critics have questioned both the legality and effectiveness of the strikes. It has been pointed out that the fentanyl behind fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the US overland from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.
US forces also came under fire after killing survivors of the first boat attack on September 2 with a follow-up strike – an action Democratic lawmakers and legal experts have described as unlawful, saying it could amount to a war crime. The administration and many Republican lawmakers have defended the strike as legal and necessary.
