On March 3, U.S. Southern Command announced in a statement published in X that U.S. and Ecuadorian forces had begun an operation targeting a “designated terrorist organization” in Ecuador.
The statement said the operation was to “combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.” Details of the operation were not disclosed.
“We commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian military for their unwavering commitment to this fight and the courage and determination they have shown through their continued action against narco-terrorists in the country,” Southern Command Gen. Francis L. Donovan said in a post.
“We are starting a new phase against narco-terrorism and illegal mining,” Ecuador’s Ministry of Defense said in a post on X shortly after the Southern Command announcement. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Azin made a similar statement in a March 2 post on the site.
The ministry said in a statement to Reuters that details of the “offensive” operation were confidential.
Asked for comment by USA TODAY, Southern Command representative Stephen McLeod said the military had “nothing further to add” beyond the statement. USA TODAY has also reached out to the Department of Defense and the Ecuadorian Ministry of Defense for comment.
This story has been updated.
Contributor: Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY. Reuters
