Ecuador’s Interior Minister John Reimberg said Ecuador will launch a major offensive against criminal organizations in three western provinces this weekend, with logistical support from the United States. Speaking to a local radio station, Reimberg said the provinces are Guayas, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, which he described as among Ecuador’s most violent areas. He said Ecuador would ask residents to comply with an overnight curfew and keep roads clear to facilitate the movement of troops and equipment.
Reimberg urged residents to observe the 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew from March 15-30, saying the measure is designed to enable operations and reduce the risk of harm to noncombatants. He also said, “We do not want collateral victims from the attacks we are about to launch.” In the same remarks, he added, “We have significant support from U.S. forces for the operations we are about to carry out.”
The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.S. Southern Command, when asked for comment on Wednesday afternoon, reiterated comments offered by Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan following March 3 strikes. Donovan’s remarks, as repeated by Southern Command, said, “We commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces for their unwavering commitment to this fight, demonstrating courage and resolve through continued actions against narco-terrorists in their country.”
The announcement came days after Ecuador and the United States began joint military operations against organized crime groups. At the time, neither government had provided details about the location or scope of the operation, according to the report. Reimberg said the offensive is aimed at “destroying what they have built in various parts of the country,” but he declined to provide specific details of where or how the attacks would occur, citing security concerns.
Later Wednesday, Ecuador and the U.S. announced an agreement to establish the first-ever FBI office in Ecuador. U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Lawrence Petroni described the planned office as “a very important milestone” for strengthening the operational bond between the FBI and Ecuadorian police. Ecuadorian police said the FBI office would begin operations inside the U.S. Embassy in Quito, and Vice President María José Pinto praised the initiative as essential for “better investigating and understanding criminal threats.”
The AP said Ecuador has faced a sustained offensive by organized crime groups since early 2021, which police said maintain close ties with drug trafficking cartels in Colombia and Mexico. Ecuador is considered a logistical hub for drug trafficking, serving as a staging and distribution point for narcotics entering the country—primarily from Colombia, though shipments also arrive from Peru, the report said—before being transported from Ecuadorian seaports to Central America, the United States and Europe, among other destinations.