US‑backed raids hit cartel hubs across Ecuador’s western trafficking corridor

The expansion of Operation Southern Spear signals a decisive shift in regional security, merging traditional counternarcotics efforts with high-tech military counterinsurgency. By deploying 10,000 troops supported by US MQ-9 drones and EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft, the coalition has targeted critical drug corridors on the Ecuadorian coast. This operation serves as a testing ground for a new doctrine that reclassifies cartels as terrorist threats, facilitating deeper US intervention with reduced legislative oversight. While the mission has achieved significant tactical victories, including over 400 arrests and major arms seizures, it risks institutionalizing long-term reliance on foreign military infrastructure.

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