Ecuador Deploys Seventy-Five Thousand Soldiers to Battle Cartels

What Happened?

The government of Ecuador has deployed seventy-five thousand soldiers and armed police to four of the most violence prone provinces to battle drug gangs and cartels. “We're at war," Ecuadorean Interior Minister John Reimberg told residents of El Oro, Guayas, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.

In conjunction with ongoing law enforcement operations, those provinces now also have a nighttime curfew, which will last until security operations have concluded.

According to law enforcement organizations in the United States and Ecuador, seventy percent of illicit drugs produced in South America are shipped through Ecuador on their way to Mexico and the United States. 

Why it Matters

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has made fighting drug trafficking the centerpiece of his administration, yet last year Ecuador saw an increase in violent crime. Because most of the drugs produced in South America must transit through Ecuador, gangs and cartels affiliates have proliferated across the small central American nation hoping to profit from illegal drug smuggling.

Many of those cartels have gone beyond drug trafficking and also engage in human trafficking, robberies, and other criminal enterprises.

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As a result, Ecuador has been plagued by waves of crime and violence, so much so that a majority of the people there approve of President Noboa’s heavy handed police tactics. Mr. Noboa’s tactics have raised concerns in the international community about the inhumane treatment of prisoners and warrantless arrests, but his popularity has remained steady in Ecuador.

With the widespread proliferation of drug gangs, Ecuador could be facing a situation where things will get worse before they get better.

The Trump Administration has sent military advisors to Ecuador to help train and equip both soldiers and armed police, who often face gang members armed with automatic weapons and explosive devices.

Narcotrafficking has driven violent crime up across the entire country of Ecuador, and police departments are often outgunned and outmanned by drug gangs. The new large-scale operation by Ecuador’s government is most likely intended to level the playing field and give security forces the upper hand in the battle against organized crime.

Columbia and Mexico have both tried similar approaches before to Ecuador’s, but with mixed results. While in the end government forces were able to defeat individual gangs or cartels, the resulting violence was catastrophic and ultimately the drug trade continued by shifting tactics and finding new ways to operate.

If Ecuador is successful, it could provide a new framework for fighting illicit drug trafficking in the Americas. 

How it Affects You

Drug networks have proven resilient in the past when it comes to finding creative ways to continue to move their illicit cargo despite military and law enforcement action against them. In some cases cartels have more money and men than governments do, making the fight a difficult one for law enforcement authorities to win.

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