US launches anti-drug trafficking mission in Ecuador: Here's what we know

Days after the Trump administration struck Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, the U.S. has launched an anti-drug trafficking operation in the Latin American country of Ecuador.

The Pentagon announced on Tuesday, March 3, stating, “The US military forces launched operations against designated terrorist organizations in Ecuador.”

U.S. Southern Command added that the actions represent ‘a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.’

While stressing the collaboration, stating, “We are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere.”

The operation appears to be an extension of the Trump administration’s 'Operation Southern Spear,' which has so far targeted over 151 people in strikes on alleged drug boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean regions.

However, the Pentagon didn’t specify what the goals of this new operation are or which groups they would target.

The video shared by the US SOUTHCOM on X (formerly Twitter) features individuals boarding a helicopter.

Responding to the operation, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Defense said in a statement on social media on Wednesday, March 4, that “A new phase against narco-terrorism and illegal mining” had commenced.

It added, "The Ecuadorian Armed Forces will continue to firmly combat organized crime alongside strategic allies, for the security of Ecuadorians and the peaceful future of our families."

For context, Los Lobos and Los Choneros are the two of Ecuador’s main criminal organizations that were designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the US State Department in September last year.