The United States and Ecuador carried out joint military strikes against drug trafficking networks in northeastern Ecuador, targeting a suspected training camp operated by a Colombian criminal group, officials said Friday.
The operation was conducted in Ecuador’s Sucumbíos province near the border with Colombia and involved helicopters, aircraft, river boats and drones to locate and strike the site, according to the Ecuadorian Defense Ministry.
The US Southern Command directed the joint effort in coordination with Ecuadorian forces. The operation targeted what officials described as designated terrorist organizations linked to narcotics trafficking.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said the strikes destroyed a compound used by the Comandos de la Frontera group, a dissident faction of the former FARC rebel movement.
Noboa said the site included a hideout belonging to a criminal leader known as Mono Tole and a training area used by drug traffickers. Video released by the president showed explosions at a compound in a forested area, sending plumes of smoke into the air.
Authorities did not immediately confirm whether any suspects were killed or captured during the operation.
The crackdown forms part of Noboa’s broader campaign against organized crime and drug trafficking networks operating across Ecuador.
Noboa, an ally of US President Donald Trump, has strengthened cooperation with Washington to curb narcotics flows moving from South America toward the United States.
Earlier this week, Noboa met in Quito with Francis Donovan and Mark Schafer to discuss intelligence sharing and closer operational coordination at airports and seaports.
The meeting focused on strengthening regional security cooperation as Ecuador intensifies its campaign against drug cartels.
Noboa is also expected to attend the “Shield of the Americas” summit in Miami, which will bring together several regional leaders to address security challenges, narcotics trafficking and migration across the Americas.
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