Full Breakdown
U.S. Troops Assist Ecuador in Dismantling CJNG Cell
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event – Joint Raid Against CJNG
Ecuador announced a broad operation conducted jointly with the U.S. Southern Command and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that targeted a local branch of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The raid, carried out on Thursday in multiple cities, resulted in the death of an individual known as “Charlie” and the arrest of more than thirty suspects linked to the cartel’s drug-trafficking network.
Operation Scale – Personnel, Arrests, Locations
Interior Minister John Reimberg reported that over 320 Ecuadorian police officers and nearly 50 uniformed U.S. personnel participated in the operation. Arrests occurred in Guayaquil, Daule, Samborondón, Ventanas, Babahoyo, Puebloviejo, Vinces and Machala. Reimberg emphasized that the captured individuals had a “direct connection to the CJNG” and were involved in moving large quantities of cocaine from Colombia through Ecuador’s southwestern ports for shipment to Central America, the United States and Europe.
Official Statements & Responses – Government Perspectives
President Daniel Noboa framed the operation as a response to threats against Ecuadorians and a warning to financiers of transnational crime.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We receive plenty of criticism regarding the fight against organized crime and very little concern about the number of victims we are seeing from organized crime,” — Daniel Noboa, right-wing president
- “This is the result for those who seek to threaten Ecuadorians and for those who believe they can finance crime from anywhere in the world,” — Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, right-wing president
Regional Impact – Implications for Crime-Fighting Strategy
The joint action underscores Quito’s alignment with Washington’s intensified crackdown on organized crime across Latin America. While the operation demonstrates heightened bilateral security collaboration, human-rights groups have warned of potential abuses, citing past allegations of excessive force and enforced disappearances in Ecuador’s anti-crime campaigns. The government’s dismissal of such criticism suggests a continued prioritization of aggressive interdiction over addressing alleged rights violations.