Image: from Eric Trump Commentary X @erictrumpfan1
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies | Wednesday, March 4, 2026
QUITO, Ecuador — In a major expansion of the Trump administration’s global military posture, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and the Ecuadorian government launched a series of joint land-based military operations on Tuesday aimed at dismantling “designated terrorist organizations.”
The announcement, made via social media and official SOUTHCOM channels, marks the first time the United States has deployed ground forces for direct kinetic action against drug cartels on South American soil. While the U.S. has historically focused on maritime interdiction, “Operation Southern Spear” has now transitioned into a “new phase” involving active combat and intelligence coordination within Ecuador’s borders.
“On March 3, Ecuadorian and U.S. military forces launched operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador,” SOUTHCOM announced. “Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere.”
The armed forces of the USA and Ecuador have begun a joint operation against drug cartels in the country. pic.twitter.com/ZMMBr1jFH4
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) March 4, 2026
A Presidential Alliance
The surge follows a high-level meeting in Quito between Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan. Noboa, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, has characterized the operations as a necessary step to reclaim his country from the grip of gangs that move roughly 70 percent of the cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru.
President Noboa’s administration recently moved to re-designate major criminal gangs as “terrorist groups,” a label the U.S. State Department has adopted to authorize lethal military force.
“Ecuadorian forces have consistently exemplified this commitment through their actions against narco-terrorists on their streets,” Gen. Donovan stated, commending the “unwavering commitment” of local troops.
Criticism and Concerns of ‘Mission Creep’
The move has not been without controversy. In Washington, some lawmakers and human rights watchdogs have raised alarms over the legality and scope of the mission. Since September, the Trump administration has already conducted more than 40 lethal strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in over 150 deaths.
Critics suggest the expansion into Ecuador, coupled with recent military actions in Venezuela to apprehend Nicolás Maduro, represents an aggressive “policing of the hemisphere” that risks long-term entanglement. Critics also pointed to the timing of the announcement, with some online skeptics suggesting the South American front is serving as a strategic distraction from the escalating war with Iran.
The Ground Reality
While operational details remain classified, video footage released by SOUTHCOM showed military helicopters locking onto targets in rural regions. The focus is reportedly on seaports and inland trafficking hubs that have turned Ecuador into one of the deadliest countries in Latin America in recent years.
Despite a 2024 referendum in which Ecuadorian voters rejected the return of permanent foreign military bases, the Noboa government appears to have bypassed this restriction through a series of “temporary” deployments and joint operational agreements.
As U.S. forces engage on multiple fronts—from the Middle East to the Andes, the administration has signaled that the war on narco-terrorism will be pursued with the same “ferocious resolve” as its other global conflicts.