The recent arrival of U.S. military materiel at Manta Air Base was preceded by just two days of U.S. troops arriving at the same location, a strategic point near the Galapagos archipelago known for its impact on controlling drug trafficking, people and illegal fishing activities. As the US Embassy in Ecuador reported on social networks, the deployment of the military contingent is part of a joint operation with the Ecuadorian Armed Forces, enshrined in the defense agreements concluded after the visit of US Security Secretary Kristi Noem the previous month.
According to information released by US authorities on Wednesday, the operation is a temporary measure aimed at strengthening Ecuador’s capabilities against the phenomenon classified as “narcoterrorism”. The media noted that the US Embassy emphasized that the mission was aimed at “protecting the United States and Ecuador from the threats we share.” According to the diplomatic mission, the deployment complies with current legislation in Ecuador.
This US military presence reopens the debate about defense cooperation between the two countries, given the recent history of Manta Base, which served as a US Army enclave for a decade until 2009. The presence of foreign forces on Ecuadorian soil ended after then-President Rafael Correa’s decision not to renew bilateral agreements. The current context, as released by the US Embassy in Ecuador, is a response to new security challenges and renewed cooperation.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said the operation would help identify and disrupt drug trafficking routes and prosecute those who tried to exploit the country’s insecure situation. According to the above-mentioned media, during the last referendum campaign, Noboa raised the possibility of restoring the United States base of operations in Manta, without, however, specifying the military focus of the mission. The referendum, which took place a month before the current operation, showed that 60% of voters were against the return of foreign military facilities to the national territory.
The regional context also appears to be characterized by an increase in US military activity. As the same media reports, Washington has recently increased its presence through agreements in Paraguay and Peru, demonstrating a pattern of cooperation focused on fighting cross-border crime and providing logistical support to allied armies. In the case of Paraguay, the United States maintains a cooperation agenda that includes military training, humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness. In Peru, Congress authorized the entry of US military personnel along with military materiel for exercises and joint missions to be carried out in 2026.
According to the source, the region is experiencing a moment of particular tension in the Venezuelan Caribbean and the Pacific, which have been the scene of US military operations since September last year, in which dozens of ships allegedly linked to the drug trade were destroyed and almost a hundred people died. The official justification given by American actors such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio points more to the financial nature of the groups described as transnational terrorist organizations than to ideological motivations.
Manta is considered a key point of the cooperation project against transnational crime due to its geographical location, which explains the American interest in resuming cooperation there. According to the various sources cited by the international press, the joint operation is of a temporary nature and will remain within the framework of Ecuador’s national regulations, despite the internal criticism and disapproval expressed during the last electoral consultation regarding the involvement of foreign forces in the country.
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