Overview
- U.S. special operations forces are advising and supporting Ecuadorian commandos with planning, intelligence and logistics rather than taking part in direct raids.
- Ecuador’s armed forces chief said initial missions occurred on Tuesday, and SOUTHCOM released a brief helicopter video as its commander praised Ecuadorian troops.
- The operations focus on Los Lobos and Los Choneros, organizations the U.S. labeled as foreign terrorist groups in September 2025.
- Europol-coordinated actions tied to the same network led to seizures of about 3.2 tonnes of cocaine in Belgium and nearly 600 kilograms in Ecuador, plus $810,000 in cash, weapons, 16 arrests and 26 searches.
- President Daniel Noboa announced a new phase against narco-terrorism and illegal mining, as the campaign expands on recent U.S. maritime strikes that government figures say killed more than 150 people, drawing legal and political scrutiny.