Donald Trump promised to stem the flow of narcotics and drugs from South and Central America, and he’s made many moves to accomplish that: shutting down the southern border, capturing and arresting former Venezuelan dictator and drug kingpin Nicolás Maduro, vaporizing smuggling boats in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean, and more.
Now the United States is teaming up with Ecuador to crack down on drug runners there:
Military forces from Ecuador and the United States have begun joint military operations against organized crime groups in the South American country, the Pentagon said, although as of Wednesday specific details, including the location and scope of the operation, remained scarce.
U.S. Southern Command said in a statement late Tuesday that Ecuadorian and U.S. military forces had launched “operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador,” calling the actions a “powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.”
On March 3, Ecuadorian and U.S. military forces launched operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador. The operations are a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.
Together,… pic.twitter.com/MrkKZcrDbs
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) March 4, 2026
The post from U.S. Southern Command continued:
Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere.
“We commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces for their unwavering commitment to this fight, demonstrating courage and resolve through continued actions against narco-terrorists in their country.” – #SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan.
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In another post, Southern Command praised Ecuador for the partnership:
“Ecuador is one of the United States’ strongest partners in disrupting and dismantling Designated Terrorist Organizations in the region. The most effective way to defeat the threat of narco-terrorism is through shared responsibility and collaboration among regional allies and… pic.twitter.com/UajjrzD78t
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) March 3, 2026
The most effective way to defeat the threat of narco-terrorism is through shared responsibility and collaboration among regional allies and partners.
– #SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, after meeting with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and senior defense officials March 2 in Quito, Ecuador.
Organized crime and narcoterrorism have been a big problem for the country of 18 million, but Noboa has been taking steps to combat it:
The announcement comes after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa revealed earlier this week that his government has initiated a new phase in the fight against organized crime with joint actions alongside allied countries, as Ecuador faces a sustained wave of violence linked to crimes such as drug trafficking and illegal mining.
“Ecuador demands security, our people need to live in peace,” said Noboa, adding that military and police forces will be involved in the operations he described as “very important.”
Obviously, there is a much bigger U.S. operation going down in Iran, but this is important nonetheless because Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth promised to be proactive against the drug scourge rather than reactive, as we’ve been for far too long.
With the moves he’s made since his inauguration in January 2025, he’s showing that he meant what he said.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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