Ecuador sinks “narco sub” as nation joins forces with U.S. to target organized crime

Ecuadorian forces sank a “narco sub” near its northern border as the nation works with the United States military to crack down on organized crime in the country, Ecuador’s defense ministry said Wednesday. 

Ecuador and the U.S. began joint military operations on Tuesday, the U.S. Southern Command said on social media. The scope of the operation is not clear. The U.S. Southern Command shared a video of a helicopter flying over a group of men, but officials did not disclose where the footage was taken. 

“We are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere,” the agency said. 

Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa said earlier this week that his government was beginning joint actions with other countries as part of a new strategy in the fight against organized crime, the Associated Press reported. Ecuador and the U.S. often collaborate on security issues. The South American country has faced a sustained wave of violence linked to drug trafficking and illegal mining, according to the Associated Press. 

Ecuador’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that a “military operation enabled the discovery of a clandestine camp and narco-vessel” in the Cayapas–Mataje mangrove forest that was ready to be used for “illicit activities.” 

The boat, also referred to as a “narco-submersible,” was about 115 feet long and “ready to begin a prolonged voyage,” the ministry said. Officials said the vessel was “presumably intended for drug trafficking.” Photos show multiple military members standing atop the sub, which appears to be covered in plant debris. 

Military personnel were shot at after discovering the site and returned fire, the defense ministry said. Officials did not say if there were any deaths or injuries among military personnel or those at the camp.  

In addition to the submarine, the military found six speedboats, seven outboard motors, 25 tanks containing a combined 1,375 gallons of diesel, 6,000 gallons of fuel, 120 empty fuel tanks, navigation equipment and a shotgun at the campsite. The defense ministry said these supplies showed “the existence of a logistical structure intended to sustain illicit activities in this strategic area.” 

Narco subs, which cannot go fully underwater, are popular among international drug traffickers as they can sometimes elude detection by law enforcement.

The Cayapas–Mataje mangrove forest is located near Ecuador’s border with Colombia, on the Pacific Coast. The reserve is dense and difficult to navigate, and contains some of the tallest mangroves in the world, according to National Geographic.