U.S. Troops Are Now Fighting the Drug War on the Ground in Ecuador

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Sept. 25, 2026 4:53 pm ET | Ryan Dubé

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Dozens of American military personnel joined Ecuadorean police in raids, marking a new level of direct U.S. involvement

Ecuador’s security forces carried out a series of raids this week around the country, killing three alleged drug traffickers and capturing dozens more. At their side was a contingent of heavily armed American soldiers. 

The operations, which were announced by the Ecuadorean government, signal a deepening of U.S. military involvement in Latin America’s drug wars as the Trump administration pledges to go after criminal groups it has labeled narcoterrorists. 

On Thursday in the city of Guayaquil and several other locations, 50 U.S. military personnel joined more than 300 national police officers in raids against a drug network that Ecuadorean officials said has ties to Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Images posted by the interior minister showed police inside a home in an upscale Guayaquil neighborhood accompanied by masked American soldiers wearing U.S. flags stitched onto the shoulder of their uniforms. More than 30 people were detained.

A day earlier, Ecuadorean soldiers, in cooperation with the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees U.S. forces in Latin America, killed a local drug boss known by the alias Charlie and his two security guards in the coastal province of Manabí. Charlie was a member of Ecuador’s Choneros gang and also had ties to Mexico’s Jalisco cartel, officials said. 

“We said it was either prison or hell, and this one didn’t make it to prison,” Ecuador’s defense minister, Gian Carlo Loffredo, said in a video on X, where he and other officials posted pictures showing three men sprawled out on a bloodstained road beside a...

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TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: choneros; chonerosgang; ecuador; guayaquil; jalisco; jaliscocartel; jngc; manabi; mexico; narcoterrorists

[ansel12]

Green Berets in Latin America has been pretty much a fact for generations, I don’t know which military guys these are, but it isn’t a surprise.

[A strike]

a crock ..

[delta7]

Green Berets in Latin America has been pretty much a fact

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I will attest to that....but not to sure about their effectiveness. I did the Plan Colombia gig a decade or so ago.....Uribe was kicking butt, but the socialists were voted in and clandestine US operations were largely halted.

The FARC, AUC and ELN were welcomed into “ surrender” but from what I know the “ plan” never worked out....the Che Guerra types ( young teenagers led by old communists ) are still roaming the jungle.

[delta7]

Green Berets in Latin America has been pretty much a fact

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I will attest to that....but not to sure about their effectiveness. I did the Plan Colombia gig a decade or so ago.....Uribe was kicking butt, but the socialists were voted in and clandestine US operations were largely halted.

The FARC, AUC and ELN were welcomed into “ surrender” but from what I know the “ plan” never worked out....the Che Guerra types ( young teenagers led by old communists ) are still roaming the jungle.

[ansel12]

It has been kept a relatively quiet part of the world, “relative”.

Trump formed his ‘Shield of the Americas’ coalition of 19 nations, and that will help much.

[Paal Gulli]

Great. Another uninformative excerpt of an article behind a paywall.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Go to the top of my homepage and follow the instructions: https://freerepublic.com/~epluribusunum/index

[chajin]

Anyone remember when Ecuador’s claim to fame was being the home base for HCJB?

[kaintucky]

My group was there in the ‘80’s.

[piasa]

Gabbard details arrest of cartel ‘baby trafficker’ who was selling newborn babies
https://justthenews.com ^ | October 25, 2025 7:09pm | Nicholas Ballasy
Posted on 10/25/2025, 7:27:50 PM by bitt

Gabbard described an operation in which intelligence provided to Mexican law enforcement led to the arrest of an alleged Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) associate known as “La Diabla.” The individual is accused of leading a criminal network involved in human trafficking, illegal medical procedures, and the sale of newborns.

irector of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard praised recent U.S. and Mexican law enforcement operations that she said were supported by the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) through intelligence sharing.

According to Gabbard, actionable intelligence from the NCTC assisted both U.S. and Mexican authorities in the arrest of a Sinaloa Cartel leader known as “El Plato” in Juárez, Mexico, along with three alleged money launderers linked to his organization.

She also cited a separate operation in which the NCTC reportedly worked with the U.S. Marshals Service to capture another Sinaloa Cartel member accused of managing large cocaine shipments and laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds.

Gabbard further described an operation in which intelligence provided to Mexican law enforcement led to the arrest of an alleged Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) associate known as “La Diabla.” The individual is accused of leading a criminal network involved in human trafficking, illegal medical procedures, and the sale of newborns.

“Her whole money-making operation was centered around luring pregnant women, performing illegal C-sections, harvesting organs and selling newborn babies,” she said.

“Mr. President, it’s your leadership that has made all of this possible,” he added, referring to the operations that led to those arrests.

[deks]

So sorry for your illness (TDS) see tagline.

[Gunslingr3]

The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to

(1) a declaration of war,

(2) specific statutory authorization, or

(3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.

None of these conditions have been satisfied.

"Having conceived an opinion highly favourable to General Pickens, I invited him to repair to this City in order that I might obtain from him such facts & information as would be essential to an offensive Expedition against the refractory part of the Creek nation, whenever Congress should decide that measure to be proper & necessary. The Constitution vests the power of declaring War with Congress, therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject, and authorised such a measure."

- George Washington to William Moultrie, 28 August 1793

[Georgia Girl 2]

Absolutely. We helped Columbia clean up long ago. They aren’t talking about it but we’re in Mexico too.

[ansel12]

This is law enforcement, it is working with the Ecuadorian government against international criminals, what country would you have us declare war against to be helping them in criminal activity?

[Gunslingr3]

This is law enforcement

No it isn’t. We have no jurisdiction to enforce our laws in Ecuador.

These are “situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances”, as precisely described by the law duly enacted by Congress, and the President has no authority to do this on his own initiative.

He is a usurper, violating the Constitution.

I understand that has fanboys, but that doesn’t alter the facts.

If the president wants to deploy American soldiers into “situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances” he needs the assent of Congress.

Real Presidents like Washington know this, usurpers and their suck ups ignore it.

[ansel12]

Their government asked for our help with their international crime guys and we are giving it, cops and robbers stuff against heavily armed drug pushers.

Ecuador is part of our Shield of the Americas (aka ACCC) organization to fight the cartels.

Your name calling is childish.

[Gunslingr3]

Their government asked for our help

I guess that voids our laws and our Constitution in your world? Because that's the only way that is relevant.

cops and robbers stuff against heavily armed drug pushers.

Yep, these are unquestionably “situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances."

The law and the Constitution requires the assent of Congress for these actions.

Your name calling is childish.

Yeah, but you crying about being called a fanboy for being a fanboy is still amusing.

[ansel12]

Grow up, being nastily childish doesn’t help people to take your rants seriously.

[deks]

Please go back to the Dumocrat Underground chat. You’re not wanted here!