US and Ecuadorian forces have launched a joint operation to combat drug trafficking, the US Southern Command announced on Tuesday. However, details of the operation remain scarce, with both sides providing limited information. The Southern Command, which oversees 31 countries across South and Central America and the Caribbean, stated on social media that the operation aims to tackle illicit drug trafficking. Ecuador's Defense Ministry, in a separate statement, confirmed their collaboration with the US in an 'offensive' operation, though classified details were not disclosed. This joint effort comes after President Daniel Noboa announced on Monday that his government would engage in joint operations with the US and allies in March, framing the initiative as a 'new phase against narco-terrorism and illegal mining'. A recent US-military-led task force, specializing in intelligence collection on drug cartels, played a pivotal role in the Mexican military's successful raid on the cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera, alias 'El Mencho', last month. This operation marked the largest takedown of a cartel kingpin in at least a decade. The story is reported by Ismail Shakil and Alexandra Valencia in Quito, with Raju Gopalakrishnan handling the writing and Christian Schmollinger and Neil Fullick overseeing the editing. The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles guide our standards.
