U.S. Military Expands Drug War to Ecuador: "It Wasn't Going to Be Just Boat Strikes Forever"

The United States has opened a new front in its global conflicts, launching joint military operations against designated terrorist organizations in Ecuador. This marks the first of an expected larger campaign of raids. The expansion is part of Operation Southern Spear, the U.S. military's campaign of strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. According to a government official briefed on the classified operation, escalation was always anticipated: "It wasn't going to be just boat strikes forever." U.S. Special Operations forces are now assisting elite Ecuadorian forces in raids on suspected drug cartel processing and shipping facilities. It remains unclear if U.S. forces are engaged in direct ground combat or are solely providing intelligence, logistics, and planning support. U.S. Southern Command described the operations as a powerful example of regional commitment to combat narco-terrorism.