U.S. and Ecuador Conduct Raids Targeting Mexican Cartel
U.S. troops, in collaboration with Ecuadorian law enforcement, executed a series of raids across Ecuador, aimed at dismantling a network associated with the Mexican terrorist organization known as Cartel Jalisco New Generation. This cartel had been reportedly utilizing Ecuador as a transit point to move drugs from Colombia to Mexico, and from there, into the United States.
The coordinated operations occurred early Thursday in eight cities throughout Ecuador, resulting in the arrest of 30 cartel members operating within the country.
Ecuador’s Minister of the Interior, John Reimberg, stated that these cartel members had no affiliations with local gangs or criminal groups. Instead, they were directly linked to the CJNG. This operation stemmed from an eight-month investigation which uncovered that the cartel’s operations in Ecuador were primarily geared toward transporting drugs through waterways towards Central America, Mexico, and either the United States or Europe.
Fifty personnel from the U.S. military’s Southern Command teamed up with more than 320 Ecuadorian officers for the raids.
Reinberg noted that this year alone, they have confiscated drugs worth around $322 million from Mexican cartels. The successful actions in Ecuador are part of the Shield of the Americas initiative, aimed at fostering collaboration between several Latin American nations and the United States in combating terrorist cartels.
Recently, it was reported that President Daniel Noboa has fully aligned his government with the U.S. strategy focused on dismantling transnational criminal networks. This was echoed during discussions in the Ecuadorian capital, where U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio commended Ecuador as a key partner in the broader regional effort against drug trafficking.
This shift represents a significant change in the security approaches of South American nations, as conservative leaders increasingly unite with Washington to confront the challenges posed by transnational criminal organizations operating in the hemisphere.
However, despite the progress made in Ecuador, the Mexican government has opted not to engage in this initiative and continues to restrict U.S. law enforcement’s involvement in efforts against Mexican terrorist cartels.
