Overview
- About 10,000 service members were sent to Guayas, Manabí and Los Ríos under the government’s “total offensive” against criminal groups.
- The armed forces’ high command moved to Guayaquil to direct the campaign, with missions covering weapons and explosives controls plus surveillance and reconnaissance.
- Security teams executed simultaneous checks at the Guayaquil, Naportec and TPG terminals, using drug-detection dogs on cargo trucks and containers throughout the export process.
- A state of exception continues in nine provinces with restricted rights, and officials framed the push with the message “prison or hell” for those who threaten public safety.
- Ecuador registered more than 9,000 killings in 2025 as gangs fight over drug routes, and international reports say most cocaine bound for Europe and the U.S. departs Ecuadorian ports, with European probes examining exporters including Noboa Trading.