U.S. Commandos Join the Raid in Ecuador

Before dawn on September 24, Ecuadorian police launched a major counter-narcotics operation against a cocaine-trafficking network. More than 320 Ecuadorian police took part, but this raid was different. About 50 personnel from U.S. Southern Command and the Drug Enforcement Administration joined the operation, with images showing U.S. personnel wearing Marine Raider insignia. In this episode of The Watch Floor, I break down why that matters, what the U.S. brought to the operation, and how the American role in Ecuador appears to be changing. We look at the raids in Samborondón and other areas, the use of drones, night vision, communications equipment and rapid exploitation of seized devices, and the broader effort to disrupt trafficking networks moving cocaine through Ecuador’s ports. The key question is whether this was a one-off operation or the start of a more direct U.S. role alongside Ecuadorian forces against transnational criminal organizations.