ECUADOR'S COAST — American commandos joined Ecuadorian troops in early March in a joint operation dubbed Lanza Marina, targeting a suspected criminal hub operated by an alleged narco-terrorist organization along Ecuador's coast, according to two U.S. officials. The operation focused on a compound believed to serve as a staging ground for high-speed boats linked to Los Choneros, an Ecuadorian criminal organization.

American forces worked in advisory roles, assisting and accompanying their Ecuadorian counterparts as they moved against the site, according to the two officials. The mission was part of a broader effort to curb trafficking networks that rely on fast-moving maritime routes. U.S. Southern Command did not offer details on the operation, citing "force protection reasons."

Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, said in a statement, "We commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces for their unwavering commitment to this fight, demonstrating courage and resolve through continued actions against narco-terrorists in their country."

In written remarks to Congress, Donovan said Southern Command is "aggressively accelerating initiatives to provide advanced unit-level training to partner nation law enforcement and military personnel to develop tactical leadership and specialized skills for sustained counternarcotics and counter-FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organization) operations."

The Defense Department has historically used authorities such as security cooperation agreements and train-and-equip programs to allow U.S. special operations forces to support foreign forces. So-called 127 Echo missions, referring to 10 U.S.C. § 127e — the legal authority that allows the U.S. military to support foreign forces to combat terrorism — are commonplace. These missions are overseen by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict. The defense secretary is required to approve these missions and to sign congressional notification letters.

President Trump rolled back constraints on American commanders to authorize airstrikes and special operations raids outside conventional battlefields. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the reporting on the rollback was accurate. The U.S. military has also conducted unilateral strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific accused of smuggling drugs. Those strikes, which began in September 2025, have numbered at least 47 and have killed about 163 people.

Last year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Los Choneros had been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The State Department designation carries the weight of criminal law and national security doctrine as well as immigration consequences. The Treasury Department's Specially Designated Global Terrorists designation is rooted in financial warfare that targets the economic lifelines of organizations and individuals.

Los Choneros was formed in the 1990s and has adopted a decentralized structure more akin to a franchise than a traditional hierarchy, according to the National Counter Terrorism Center. Loosely aligned factions have operated under the organization's name, allowing it to expand and adapt even as authorities targeted its leadership. The center assesses that the group has approximately 12,000 members and primarily operates in Manabi, Ecuador, with a presence in at least 10 other Ecuadorian provinces as well as in Colombia and Peru. The group has forged ties with Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and criminal groups from Albania.