US and Ecuadorian forces have launched joint operations to combat drug trafficking, the US Southern Command said on Tuesday, but neither side gave more details. Southern Command, which encompasses 31 countries through South and Central America and the Caribbean, said in a statement on X that the “decisive action” was aimed at combating illicit drug trafficking. The announcement came a day after the South American country said Washington had joined a “new phase” in its so-called “war on drugs”. About 70% of the drugs produced by Colombia and Peru, the world’s largest and second-largest cocaine producers, respectively, are shipped through neighbouring Ecuador. The US and Ecuador have boosted their security cooperation since the rightwing Noboa came to power in 2023.

Source: The Guardian March 04, 2026 16:06 UTC