Ecuador Deploys 75,000 Forces in Massive Anti-Drug War

Unprecedented Military Response

Ecuador launched its largest military operation against drug trafficking on Sunday night, deploying 75,000 soldiers and police officers in a two-week offensive backed by the United States that will run through March 31, supported by convoys of armoured vehicles, motorcycles and helicopters. Night-time curfews have been imposed in the coastal provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas and El Oro. Interior Minister John Reimberg told residents of the affected provinces: "We're at war. Don't take any risks, don't go out, stay at home."

The operation marks the first acknowledged deployment of U.S. military forces on the ground in a Latin American anti-narcotics campaign under the current administration, with U.S. Southern Command confirming that joint operations began on March 3, with American personnel providing advisory support, intelligence, and logistical assistance to Ecuadorian forces. While the Ecuadorian government has not confirmed direct U.S. troop participation in raids, reporting from The New York Times indicated that American soldiers are embedded with Ecuadorian units, assisting in operational planning.

Strategic Geographic Challenge

Ecuador's geographical location - sandwiched between Colombia and Peru, the world's largest producers of cocaine - has turned it into a key transit country for the illicit drug, with around 70% of the cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru estimated to be shipped through Ecuador. Ecuador closed 2025 with 9,235 homicides, a national record driven by turf wars between criminal organizations competing to control drug transit routes.

The drug trade has unleashed a brutal turf war between gangs, pushing Ecuador's homicide rate to about 52 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the Observatory of Organised Crime. Since coming to office, Noboa has tried to combat criminal organisations in his country with an iron fist and has declared several states of emergency but nevertheless the murder rate rose by over 30% between 2024 and 2025.

Intensified US Partnership

The partnership sits within the broader "Shield of the Americas" coalition of 17 countries formed at a Miami summit earlier this month under U.S. leadership. Noboa was one of the Latin American leaders to attend an international meeting hosted by Trump in Mar-a-Lago, which the US authorities dubbed the "Shield of the Americas" summit, where Trump likened criminal gangs to a "cancer" and urged his Latin American counterparts to use military force to root them out.

The Ecuadoran government also announced last week that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation will open its first office in the country to investigate organised crime, money-laundering and corruption alongside local police, with Interior Minister Reimberg saying the FBI's work would begin immediately. Last week, Ecuadorian forces bombed a FARC dissident training camp near the Colombian border with U.S. support, and Europol simultaneously dismantled a cocaine-trafficking network linked to Ecuador's Los Lobos cartel, seizing four tonnes of cocaine across Ecuador, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Domestic Tensions and Future Challenges

Noboa's alignment with Washington carries domestic risks, as Ecuadorians voted against the return of foreign military bases in a referendum Noboa himself promoted, and press restrictions on coverage of the military operations have drawn criticism from transparency advocates. Human rights groups have previously criticised Noboa's frequent states of emergency and the heavy deployment of troops in urban areas.

This massive deployment represents a pivotal moment for Ecuador's security strategy. With cocaine trafficking networks becoming increasingly sophisticated and violent, the success of this two-week operation could determine whether Ecuador can reclaim control of its territory or face continued escalation in drug-related violence. The international partnership signals a new phase in regional anti-narcotics efforts, but the ultimate test will be whether these dramatic measures can produce lasting results where previous approaches have failed.