\n<\/p>\n
QUITO, Ecuador — <\/span>Military forces from Ecuador<\/a> and the United States have begun joint military operations against organized crime groups in the South American country, the Pentagon said, although as of Wednesday specific details, including the location and scope of the operation, remained scarce.<\/p>\n U.S. Southern Command said in a statement late Tuesday that Ecuadorian and U.S. military forces had launched \u201coperations against Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador,\u201d calling the actions a \u201cpowerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n A 30-second video accompanying a post on X showed a helicopter flying over a group of men walking on the ground, but the footage stops without revealing the following steps.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere,\u201d the post added, without providing other details of the operation.<\/p>\n Ecuador’s foreign and defense ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. The operation was not mentioned Wednesday at the U.S. defense secretary briefing, which was focused on Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n The announcement comes after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa<\/a> revealed earlier this week that his government has initiated a new phase in the fight against organized crime with joint actions alongside allied countries, as Ecuador faces a sustained wave of violence linked to crimes such as drug trafficking and illegal mining.<\/p>\n \u201cEcuador demands security, our people need to live in peace,\u201d said Noboa, adding that military and police forces will be involved in the operations he described as \u201cvery important.\u201d<\/p>\n Ecuador maintains good relations with countries<\/a> including the United States, Israel and Italy, among others, often collaborating on security issues.<\/p>\n In February, Noboa ordered the foreign ministry<\/a> to seek cooperation agreements with \u201callied nations\u201d that would allow \u201cthe incorporation of special forces\u201d on a temporary basis as support for the Ecuadorian police and armed forces.<\/p>\n Authorities identify Ecuador as a critical logistical hub in the global drug trade, where drugs \u2014 particularly cocaine \u2014 are stockpiled, stored and distributed, especially from the northern border with Colombia<\/a>. The shipments are transported from its ports to Central America, the United States and Europe.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Follow AP\u2019s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/latin-america<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n