Ecuador Reports 253 Arrests as Two-Week Anti-Cartel Offensive Begins

Overview

• Authorities launched coordinated land, air and sea operations to recover territory from criminal groups, according to the defense minister.
• Night curfews run from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. in Guayas, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas and El Oro, with exceptions for air travelers, health workers and emergency services, and police say no safe-conducts will be issued.
• The Interior Ministry said 253 people were detained on the first day, mostly for curfew violations and illegal weapons possession, as raids and patrols were carried out.
• Ecuador confirms U.S. advisory support and the recent opening of an FBI office as part of the U.S.-led Escudo das Américas initiative, and any decision on U.S. troop deployment remains pending.
• Human rights groups and night-shift workers voice concerns over force excesses and lost income as the country confronts one of the region’s highest homicide rates and a growing role as a cocaine transit hub.