US military carries out targeted strike on alleged narco-terrorist network in Ecuador

The U.S. military carried out a targeted strike Friday against a narco-terrorist network in Ecuador, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said.

SOUTHCOM said the joint U.S.-Ecuadorian operation involved lethal kinetic action against suspected designated terrorist organizations in the country.

“At the order of @SecWar, #SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan directed the joint force to support Ecuadorian forces conducing lethal kinetic operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations within Ecuador March 6,” SOUTHCOM posted on X.

Donovan said in a statement that the U.S. was “advancing alongside our partners in the fight against narco-terrorism.”

“I congratulate our joint forces and the Ecuadorian armed forces for the successful operation against narco-terrorists in Ecuador,” he said. “This collaborative and decisive action is a strategic success for all nations in the Western Hemisphere committed to disrupting and defeating narco-terrorism.”

It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties from the operation.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shared a video of the strike on X, writing, “Yes — as @POTUS has said — we are bombing narco-terrorists on land as well. Thank you to our partners in Ecuador. Much more to come from @Southcom.”

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Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that the War Department is “uniting partners across the Western Hemisphere to detect, disrupt and destroy designated terrorist organizations that fuel violence and corruption.”

Parnell said Ecuador requested that the War Department execute targeted action “to advance our shared objective of dismantling narco-terrorist networks.”

“This operation demonstrates the power of coordinated action and sends a clear message: Narco-terrorist networks will not find refuge in our hemisphere,” he said.

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Parnell added that the U.S. “remains steadfast in supporting nations that stand against narco-terrorism.”

“Together, we will dismantle trafficking and corruption networks, hold these organizations accountable, and restore peace through strength,” he said.

Parnell said the operation targeted a narco-terrorist supply complex, “disrupting their operations and logistics.”

He commended the Ecuadorian government and the country’s defense and security forces for their partnership in the operation.

The strike follows joint operations launched earlier this week by U.S. and Ecuadorian forces targeting suspected narco-terrorists in Ecuador, according to U.S. Southern Command.

SOUTHCOM said it was taking “decisive action” against designated terrorist organizations.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador said the United States “successfully concluded a joint operation” with Europol and Ecuadorian authorities dismantling the Hernán Ruilova Barzola transnational drug trafficking organization, which it said is linked to the Los Lobos cartel.

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The U.S. has conducted at least 43 strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of 150 people.

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