U.S. strikes on narcoterrorist drug boats continue to be extremely successful, including the strikes in partnership with Ecuadorian authorities that took out massive amounts of illegal drugs.
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) continues to battle the narcoterrorists whose illegal drug trade has cost hundreds of thousands of lives in the United States and all across the Americas. The Trump administration has emphasized that this is the most dangerous threat in the Western Hemisphere, and consequently, that the strikes on drug boats and other cartel targets are just as necessary to our national security and sovereignty as the Iranian operation.
The ongoing operation to take down the narcoterrorist network is a joint one that includes both Ecuadorian and American authorities and resources. The Trump administration has been emphasizing cooperation with other governments, including by hosting a recent summit.
The Ecuadoran Ministry of National Defense shared information on X March 11, boasting (translation by Grok), “DRUG TRAFFICKING STRUCK AT SEA: CRIMINALS LOSE 1.6 TONS OF DRUGS.” That is millions of dollars’ worth — and possibly thousands of lives’ worth — of illegal drugs.
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The Ecuadorian ministry continued, “Learn how the @FFAAECUADOR, through intelligence information and in coordination with the National Intelligence Center, located 1.6 tons of substances classified as subject to regulation during operations to protect and control national aquatic spaces.” The government agency also shared a video:
📹 NARCOTRÁFICO ATACADO EN EL MAR: CRIMINALES PIERDEN 1,6 TONELADAS DE DROGA💪
📌 Conoce cómo las @FFAAECUADOR, mediante información de inteligencia y en coordinación con el Centro Nacional de Inteligencia, localizaron 1,6 toneladas de sustancias catalogadas sujetas a… pic.twitter.com/8M5Wtv1Bit
— Ministerio de Defensa Nacional del Ecuador (@DefensaEc) March 11, 2026
SOUTHCOM reacted to the post by sharing a statement from its Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, who commented, “This successful interdiction, led by our Ecuadorian partners with support from Joint Interagency Task Force-South and the U.S. Coast Guard, demonstrates the united front against cartels and narcoterrorists in the Western Hemisphere. Together, we are disrupting and dismantling the illicit networks that spread terror, violence and corruption across our region.”
As mentioned above, the Trump administration is looking to build alliances with other governments across the Americas in order to combat transnational criminal organizations. The Shield of the Americas Summit occurred this month in Florida, bringing together representatives and officials from around a dozen countries.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “We are grateful for our allies – the countries that have been there for us and the leaders that are friends and always willing to work and cooperate with the United States.” Rubio explained also, “We want the world to see that when you’re a friend and an ally of the United States, it is a good thing. It’s reciprocated.”
In his usual enthusiastic style, President Donald Trump declared, “All of the nations in this room share the same priorities: security, prosperity, free commerce, and the rule of law… that’s why together, we’re also forming the Shield of the Americas, a new organization to advance these shared priorities in our hemisphere.” And so far, the Ecuador connection in particular is proving fruitful.
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