US military assists Ecuador in 1st land operation against cartels: Source

The United States and Ecuador carried out a joint military operation against “designated terrorist organizations in Ecuador,” though the U.S. role was limited to advising Ecuadorian troops, and they did not participate in the actual ground operation, a source familiar with the operation told ABC News.

The joint operation was announced by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday.

“The operations are a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism,” U.S. Southern Command wrote in a post on X.

This marks the first time that the U.S. military has worked in a land operation as part of the Trump administration’s fight against Latin American drug cartels.

Until now, the U.S. military had only carried out airstrikes targeting drug smuggling boats in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean.

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The U.S. military’s role in the joint mission was the presence of military advisors in Ecuador who provided planning, intelligence, and operational support in preparation for the mission, a source familiar with the operation told ABC News.

They advised Ecuadorian forces, but they did not participate in the actual ground and airlift operation, which was carried out by Ecuadorian forces, the source said.

No details were provided by SOUTHCOM about the operation.

In announcing the joint operation, U.S. Southern Command also released a video, which appears to show the Ecuadorian forces and aircraft, though no context was provided.