The United States and Ecuador have carried out a joint military operation, bombing a drug trafficker's camp near Ecuador's border with Colombia. US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) stated on Friday that the strikes are part of an ongoing operation targeting drug trafficking activities in the region.
In its statement, SOUTHCOM claimed that its commander, General Francis Donovan, directed the joint force at the order of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to support Ecuadorian forces in conducting what it described as "lethal kinetic operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations" within the Latin American country. "We are advancing alongside our partners in the fight against narcoterrorism," the statement posted on X said, reflecting the US regime's continued military involvement in South America.
The strikes were executed in the northeastern province of Sucumbios, close to the Colombian border. Ecuador's Defense Ministry reported that helicopters, aircraft, river boats, and drones were utilized to locate and bomb a training camp for drug traffickers in the area.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced on Instagram that the camp belonged to the Colombian criminal group Comandos de la Frontera (CDF), a dissident faction of the FARC guerrilla group. The right-wing leader stated, "We destroyed the hideout of Mono Tole, the leader of the CDF, and a training area for drug traffickers," posting a video showing a compound in a forested area exploding with a white plume of smoke.
It remains unclear whether any individuals were killed or captured in the strikes. Noboa, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, has been collaborating closely with US authorities in an effort to stem the flow of drugs from Ecuador to the United States. A military crackdown on organized crime is a central focus of Noboa's government, which critics argue may exacerbate regional tensions.
The 38-year-old president's administration has also imposed tariffs on neighboring Colombia, accusing it of insufficient efforts to combat drug trafficking. Earlier this week, Noboa held talks in Quito with Donovan and Mark Schafer, head of US Special Operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean. According to a statement from the Ecuadorian president's office, the discussions centered on plans for information sharing and operational coordination at airports and seaports.
Noboa is expected to attend the Trump administration's "Shield of the Americas" meeting in Miami, a summit that will bring together several right-wing leaders across the region to focus on regional security, drug trafficking, and migration—topics that often highlight the challenges and geopolitical costs of US-led initiatives in Latin America.
Source: www.dw.com