US, Ecuadorean forces conduct joint operation against “narco-terrorists”, SOUTHCOM says

PHOTO CAPTION: Helicopters and people at an unknown location in this still image from a video released on March 3, 2026, by U.S. Southern Command, which they said was part of joint operations launched by the Ecuadorean and U.S. forces to combat drug trafficking. US Southern Command via X/Handout via REUTERS

March 3  -  Ecuadorean and U.S. forces launched joint operations to combat drug trafficking, the U.S. Southern Command said on Tuesday, but neither side gave more details.

The Southern Command, which is the U.S. military's combatant command that encompasses 31 countries through South and Central America and the Caribbean, said in a statement on social media website X that the action was meant to combat illicit drug trafficking.

Ecuador’s Defense Ministry said in a statement it was working with the U.S. in an “offensive” operation and added that details were classified. 

The announcement came after President Daniel Noboa had said on Monday that his government would conduct joint operations with the U.S. and other allies in March, framing the effort as “a new phase against narco-terrorism and illegal mining.”

A new U.S.-military-led task force specializing in intelligence collection on drug cartels played a role in the Mexican military raid that killed elusive crime boss Nemesio Oseguera, alias "El Mencho," last month, the biggest takedown of a cartel kingpin in at least a decade.

 (Reporting by Ismail Shakil and by Alexandra Valencia in Quito; Writing by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Neil Fullick // REUTERS)