US seeks $45m security package for Ecuador
Washington has proposed additional funding and six naval vessels for Ecuador as both governments deepen cooperation against organised crime and drug trafficking.
The Trump administration will seek $45 million in additional security funding for Ecuador, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced during a visit to Quito on Wednesday.
The proposed package includes a separate $10 million initiative targeting illegal gold mining, gang recruitment and drug trafficking. The funding remains subject to congressional approval.
Washington also plans to provide Ecuador’s navy with one Coast Guard cutter and five interceptor vessels. The transfer would add to seven vessels the US delivered earlier this year, although its timing and operational details were not specified.
Rubio also designated Los Tiguerones, an Ecuador-based drug-trafficking group, as a foreign terrorist organisation. US authorities accuse the group of links to narcotics trafficking and involvement in the violent takeover of a television station in 2024.
The announcement comes as President Daniel Noboa’s government pursues a tougher security policy amid rising crime and drug trafficking. The US and Ecuador have expanded military and anti-narcotics cooperation, including operations to intercept boats allegedly linked to criminal groups.
Rubio’s visit to Ecuador is part of a three-country South America tour. The expanded cooperation follows joint military operations confirmed by the US in March and comes amid controversy over alleged human rights violations in anti-narcotics operations by both countries.
