Ecuador has announced plans to request assistance from foreign special forces to support its ongoing fight against drug cartels and organized crime.
According to a statement from the communications secretariat, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has directed the foreign ministry to negotiate cooperation agreements that would allow foreign special forces to temporarily support Ecuador’s armed forces and national police.
The government has not disclosed which countries it is seeking help from.
“The mafias and drug trafficking operate in international networks, so it is necessary to act together to combat them more effectively,” the statement read.
A la ciudadanía: pic.twitter.com/4NUu9d4IO3
— Presidencia Ecuador
(@Presidencia_Ec) February 19, 2025
Ecuador, once considered one of the safer countries in Latin America, has become a key battleground in the global drug trade. The infiltration of Mexican, Colombian, and Balkan cartels, operating in collaboration with local criminal groups, has fueled a sharp rise in homicides, kidnappings, and extortion.
Official data shows that Ecuador’s homicide rate skyrocketed from six per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018 to a record 47 per 100,000 in 2023.
Under a state of emergency and military crackdown launched by Noboa, who took office in November 2023, the figure dropped to 38 per 100,000 last year, according to official data.
Noboa is seeking re-election in a runoff scheduled for April, after narrowly defeating challenger Luisa Gonzalez in an inconclusive first round 10 days ago.
