Ecuador deploys American drones to fight drug trafficking at the border

The Ecuadorian authorities announced on Thursday the deployment of American unmanned aerial systems to increase intelligence-gathering and surveillance capabilities, as part of the fight against drug trafficking, which has turned the Latin American country into a battlefield between rival cartels.

“International cooperation with the U.S. allows the integration of MQ-9 Reaper drones with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities,” the Ministry of Defence said.

The aircraft, which are also capable of ground attacks, depending on their configuration, “increase our ability to gather information and to detect movements linked to the criminal economy,” it added.

The Minister of Defence, Gian Carlo Loffredo, clarified via X that with only “two of these drones, we cover the 732 kilometres of border with Colombia”, the country that ranks first in the world for cocaine production.

Washington, which strongly supports its right-wing ally, President Daniel Noboa, has already sent special forces, warships and military aircraft to Ecuador.

With Quito’s support, Washington is also carrying out military operations in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

The American military has announced that it has sunk at least seven fishing vessels flying the Ecuadorian flag, which were said to have been loaded with fuel and turned into “service stations” for drug traffickers’ speedboats.

The Ecuadorian authorities announced earlier yesterday that, in cooperation with Europol and Spanish law enforcement agencies, they dismantled a network of companies involved in drug trafficking towards Europe.

The arrested individuals managed companies that “were used as fronts, not only for money laundering, but also for drug trafficking into European countries,” Ecuador’s Minister of the Interior, John Reberg, said during an interview on his country’s radio station.

Spain, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands were the main destinations in Europe for the drugs transported from Ecuador, usually hidden in containers belonging to at least 15 companies active in the export of fruit, cocoa, fish and timber.

The authorities arrested 21 Ecuadorian nationals, including two active police officers.

Among those arrested is also Jackson Sabrano, who is considered to be among the main “financiers” of the elected “Pipo”, the head of the Los Lobos gang, which specialises in drug trafficking and the exploitation of illegal mines, the minister clarified via X.

Wilmer Chavarria, also known by the nickname “Pippo”, is accused in his country of involvement in planning the assassination attempt against presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in 2023. He has been imprisoned in Spain since last year.

The circuit came under the authorities’ microscope in 2024, after the seizure of 13 tonnes of cocaine, a quantity hidden in bananas that had been transported to the port of Algeciras, in southern Spain.

The investigations into the case that followed allowed the authorities to seize around 45 tonnes of cocaine in various places, with a value, according to calculations cited by Mr Reiberg, of approximately 1.7 billion dollars.