US Treasury sanctions Ecuador-to-US cocaine trafficking network

The U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions on 15 individuals linked to a network accused of trafficking cocaine from Ecuador through Mexico to the United States. The operation allegedly utilized Ecuador-based fishing vessels to transport cocaine to faster boats that traveled north through the Eastern Pacific Ocean, headed for the U.S. The Treasury's announcement came as the U.S. has intensified operations against fishermen in the Caribbean and Pacific, reportedly resulting in over 200 deaths as part of a broader effort to strengthen joint anti-drug trafficking initiatives in Latin America.

The targeted individuals are alleged to be members of Los Choneros and Los Lobos, two Ecuadorean gangs previously labeled as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. The illicit drugs reportedly passed through Mexico before reaching the U.S. via the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), also designated foreign terrorist organizations.

Ecuador has faced significant drug violence challenges since 2021, with rival cartels collaborating with local gangs to control routes and ports used for smuggling cocaine. In 2022, the country experienced its highest homicide rate in decades, with 50 murders per every 100,000 residents, according to the Ministry of the Interior. The current administration, led by President Daniel Noboa, has cooperated closely with U.S. President Donald Trump in regional counter-narcotics efforts.

U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to collaborate with Ecuadorean officials in combating drug trafficking, with two U.S. warships and interceptor boats, alongside helicopters, expected to patrol Ecuador's territorial waters to bolster the country's anti-drug efforts. This move was announced by Ecuador's Defense Minister, Gian Carlo Loffredo, in a post on his Instagram account following a meeting with Gen. Francis Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, in the port city of Manta.

Loffredo did not provide details on the commencement date of the patrols. He added that the presence of three Black Hawk helicopters in Manta would result in a tripling of interdiction capabilities in the maritime zone.