US strikes against alleged narco-terrorist network in Ecuador

ISTANBUL

The American military carried out a targeted strike Friday against an alleged narco-terror network in Ecuador as part of a joint operation with Ecuadorian forces, according to US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

SOUTHCOM said in a statement on US social media company X that the operation was conducted at the request of Ecuador and involved “lethal kinetic operations” against suspected designated terror organizations operating in the country.

“#SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan directed the joint force to support Ecuadorian forces conducting lethal kinetic operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations within Ecuador,” it said.

Donovan said the operation reflected cooperation between the US and Ecuador to combat narco-terrorism in the region.

“I congratulate our joint forces and the Ecuadorian armed forces for the successful operation against narco-terrorists in Ecuador,” Donovan said in a statement. “This collaborative and decisive action is a strategic success for all nations in the Western Hemisphere committed to disrupting and defeating narco-terrorism.”

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the agency carried out the targeted action to dismantle what he described as a narco-terrorist supply complex.

“The War Department is uniting partners across the Western Hemisphere to detect, disrupt and destroy designated terrorist organizations that fuel violence and corruption,” said Parnell.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also shared a video of the strike on X, thanking Ecuador for its cooperation and saying further actions could follow.

It was not immediately clear whether there were casualties from the operation.

The Trump administration has intensified military operations in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean since September, citing efforts against narcotics trafficking, killing at least 148 people since the start of operations.