Not over in Iran, the US suddenly launches a military operation here
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The United States has officially stepped up its involvement in the war on drugs in Latin America. The U.S. military command responsible for operations against ships suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific region confirmed that it had begun a joint operation with Ecuador to combat the illegal drug trade.
According to AFP, on Wednesday (4 March 2026), the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) stated that the two countries had launched an operation against a “designated terrorist organisation” in the Ecuadorian region.
“This operation is a strong example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the narcoterrorism menace,” SOUTHCOM wrote in a post on the X platform.
“Together, we are taking decisive action to confront the narco-terrorists who have long spread terror, violence, and corruption against people across the globe,” the statement continued.
The announcement came a day after the Ecuadorian government said Washington had entered a “new phase” in the war on drugs in the country.
Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa, known as a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, said the US is among the “regional allies” taking part in the operation against drug cartels. These groups are exploiting Ecuador’s ports as routes for cocaine shipments to international markets.
On Monday, Noboa held talks in Quito with SOUTHCOM head Francis Donovan and Mark Schafer, head of the US Special Operations for Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
According to an official statement from the Ecuadorian presidency, during the meeting they discussed plans for information sharing and operational coordination at airports and seaports.
Approximately 70% of the cocaine produced by Colombia and Peru — the world’s largest and second-largest producers — is shipped via the neighbouring country, Ecuador. This geographic position makes Ecuador a strategic transit hub in the global drug trafficking network.
That drug trafficking has sparked a bloody regional war and, in a few years, transformed Ecuador from one of the safest countries in Latin America into one of the deadliest in the region.
Security cooperation between the United States and Ecuador has intensified since Noboa, who holds a right-leaning stance, came to power in 2023. Last year, Noboa backed reopening a U.S. military base that had been closed.
However, the move was rejected by the Ecuadorian people in a November referendum, which rejected lifting the ban on foreign military bases in the country.
Nevertheless, in December the United States announced the temporary deployment of Air Force personnel at the former U.S. military base in the port city of Manta.