Ecuador Illegal Mining Raid Destroys 9 Excavators in the Amazon

Ecuadorian soldiers destroyed nine excavators in the Amazon provinces of Napo and Morona Santiago, marking a significant blow to criminal mining networks. The Army reported the operation, which took place on or around August 14, 2026, as having damaged over US$1 million worth of equipment and infrastructure. In Sindy, near Puerto Napo, seven excavators, a dredge, a suction pump, and three mining camps were destroyed.

In Latas, also in Tena canton, another excavator was wrecked. Across the border in Morona Santiago, a ninth machine fell in the parish of 16 de Octubre, in Palora. Illegal mining, driven by record-high gold prices, has become Ecuador's fastest-growing criminal economy, rivaling cocaine trafficking. The destroyed excavators represent significant financial losses for the criminal networks, which often use mercury that poisons the environment and local communities.

President Daniel Noboa has labeled illegal mining part of a broader war on organized crime, and the government treats each destroyed machine as an assault on gang funding. This operation is part of a series of raids, with the Amazon jungle brigade having destroyed dozens of excavators since August 2025. The military aims to continue pressuring the criminal networks through jungle raids, though destroying machines alone will not end the illicit trade. Analysts argue that cutting demand for dirty gold and policing supply chains is the real solution.