Overview
- The U.S. Embassy said personnel arrived for a short-term operation with the Ecuadorian Air Force focused on intelligence collection and counter-drug capabilities.
- Ecuador’s Defense Ministry reported U.S. C-17 aircraft recently delivered military material in Manta and said operational details remain classified.
- President Daniel Noboa said the effort will help identify and dismantle trafficking routes as part of a longer-term security strategy with the United States.
- The 2023 agreements grant privileges and immunities to U.S. personnel, allow U.S. jurisdiction over its forces, and authorize free movement of U.S. defense aircraft, ships and vehicles in Ecuador.
- The deployment coincides with a U.S. maritime and air campaign targeting suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific that news counts attribute to about 95 deaths since September.