The Ecuadorian government has announced that it is ready to launch a full-scale military offensive against criminal networks in the country starting this weekend, with support from the United States.
In an interview with Ecuador’s Radio Centro on Wednesday, Interior Minister John Reinberg said the attack was a change in tactics by President Daniel Novoa’s government.
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“Last year, we focused on arresting all the heads of the (criminal) organization, and as a result there was internal conflict over the same criminal economy,” Reinberg said.
“This year, we are going to attack the criminal economy.”
The minister added that illegal mining and drug trafficking operations would also be targeted in the latest sweep. Details regarding the scope of the operation were not disclosed.
Ecuador issues curfew
Reinberg’s statement follows the announcement of a curfew for four provinces on Ecuador’s Pacific coast: El Oro and Guayas, as well as the central-eastern region of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas and Los Ríos.
The curfew is expected to last for more than two weeks, from March 15 to March 30, and residents will be required to stay indoors during designated hours.
Authorities warned that if travel is necessary during the curfew hours, residents should be prepared to show documentation justifying their travel.
Reinberg argued in remarks Wednesday that such restrictions are necessary to avoid civilian casualties.
“We don’t want any collateral damage from the attack that we’re about to carry out,” he said on a radio show.
“We have to clear the roads because we have troop movement. We need to clear the roads to carry out operations.”
Reinberg added that the latest operation is expected to be “larger” than previous criminal busts.
“What’s the difference? The power we have to act,” he said. “Basically, and in summary, we’re going to destroy.”
Closer relationship with President Trump
The curfew was announced on March 2 by President Noboa in a speech to the Ecuadorian National Police.
He told law enforcement officials to prepare for stepped-up operations to combat criminal networks in the country: “The next phase of the fight against organized crime begins now.”
Within days of his speech, the United States issued a statement confirming that it had begun joint military operations with Ecuador. So far, the United States appears to be focused on providing support in the form of military logistics and intelligence.
But the coalition comes as US President Donald Trump is pressuring Latin American leaders to take more aggressive action against local criminal networks, some of which he calls “foreign terrorist organizations.”
Mr. Trump and Mr. Noboa have developed an especially close bond, with Mr. Noboa appearing to share the U.S. leader’s hard-line positions on countries such as Cuba and Colombia.
Novoa recently expelled Cuban diplomats from Ecuador amid a U.S. fuel blockade on the Caribbean island. And while President Trump called on Colombia to crack down on illegal drug trafficking, Noboa imposed tariffs on the country for the same reason.
Top U.S. officials, including outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Gen. Francis Donovan, commander of the U.S. Army’s Southern Command, have also visited Novoa in recent months to discuss regional security.
The Trump administration has said it wants the United States to demonstrate “excellence” throughout the Western Hemisphere.
It also attacked dozens of ships in Venezuela and in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Ocean, citing efforts to combat drug trafficking to the United States. However, these attacks have been condemned by experts as illegal under international law.
Rapid increase in crime
Mr. Noboa took power for a shortened term in 2023 and was re-elected in 2025 primarily on the basis of tackling the rise in gang activity in Ecuador.
Ecuador, once considered a region with relatively low levels of violent crime, has experienced a sharp rise in violent crime following the coronavirus pandemic.
Experts say there are many reasons for this. Ecuador’s economy was depressed by the pandemic, and youth unemployment was high.
Then there’s the country’s geography. Ecuador’s location on the Pacific coast, between Colombia and Peru, the world’s two largest producers of cocaine, made it an attractive port for illegal exports.
This has resulted in criminal networks increasingly seeking to assert control over Ecuadorian territory and human trafficking routes.
Last year, in 2025, Ecuador saw another spike in homicide rates, with an estimated 9,216 murders reported. This is an increase of more than 30% compared to the previous year.
In an effort to reduce these numbers, Noboa has resorted to heavy-handed tactics that critics compare to the “mano dura” or “iron fist” approach of countries like El Salvador.
Novoa himself likens the conflict between Ecuador and drug cartels to a “war.” Last year, he supported a referendum on allowing foreign military bases in Ecuador, arguing that such measures were key to stopping drug trafficking.
Ecuador has banned foreign military bases since 2008 due to suspected human rights abuses. The referendum was ultimately rejected.
But the Trump administration supported the ballot initiative and praised Novoa as a key ally in America’s ongoing “war on drugs.”
Although no base will be built, the Trump administration announced Wednesday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will open its first field office in Ecuador.
The statement called it a “strategic and operational milestone for security” in the region.
