Quito, Ecuador—The US military presence in Ecuador is
expanding with joint operations between special forces from both countries, as
the Ecuadorian government intensifies its offensive against drug trafficking
organizations and criminal violence.
According to Ecuadorian officials, members of the US Seventh
Special Forces Group, known as the Green Berets, are already conducting
coordinated operations with local troops in the province of Esmeraldas.
The area, located in northern Ecuador and bordering
Colombia, has become one of the hotspots most affected by the dispute between
criminal organizations seeking to control drug trafficking routes.
An Ecuadorian official confirmed that US military personnel
are working alongside Ecuadorian units in the region, although operational
details about their missions were not publicly released.
Military cooperation could expand in the coming weeks.
Ecuadorian authorities have announced the planned arrival of additional U.S.
military personnel to support operations against drug trafficking groups.
The deployment of U.S. special forces comes amid escalating
violence in Ecuador, a country that in recent years has faced a significant
expansion of criminal organizations and an increase in clashes related to
territorial control and drug trafficking routes.