Challenges
Ecuador is a major transit country for drugs and precursor chemicals. Despite sharing porous borders and a contiguous seacoast with two of the world’s largest narcotics producers, Colombia and Peru, there is no evidence that illicit crops are cultivated to any significant degree in Ecuador. The large-scale armed conflict in Colombia complicates drug interdiction on Ecuador’s northern border. Most drugs leave Ecuador by sea. In addition, there are drug flow pressures from the southern border with Peru. These factors, coupled with the ‘balloon effect’ of drug eradication and interdiction programs in neighboring Colombia, place increased drug trade pressures on Ecuador from its northern and southern borders, and add to proximate maritime illicit drug flows.
U.S. Counternarcotics Goals
- Strengthen counternarcotics enforcement and military units in northern border areas to improve overall border security and effectiveness of narcotics interdiction operations;
- Improve the professional capabilities, equipment, and integrity of Ecuador’s police, military, and judicial agencies to enable them to counter illicit drug activities more effectively;
- Develop communications networks to improve operational coordination and better exploit drug intelligence;
- Develop institutional capabilities to interdict illegal drugs and controlled chemicals, prosecute traffickers, and seize illicit drug assets;
- Contain the growth of the coca/cocaine economy;
- Increase licit income and employment opportunities; and
- Increase citizen satisfaction with the performance of local democratic institutions.
U.S. Programs
Ecuador faces an increasing threat to its internal stability due to spillover effects from Colombia. The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) projects support the efforts of the Ecuadorian National Police (ENP) to strengthen its presence on the northern border with new checkpoints at strategic highway intersections and a more highly-developed police communications network. Additionally, INL counternarcotics assistance to the Ecuadorian military strengthens their capacity to provide security in northern border areas and to improve coordination and logistical cooperation with the ENP.
INL assists the ENP in improving their control over cargo transiting Ecuador’s sea and airports, enhancing facilities, equipment ,and manpower, supporting canine units, and strengthening the seaport joint information coordination center in Guayaquil.
USAID has been working intensively with Ecuador to support alternative, licit production options that will create a barrier along the vulnerable northern border which has increasingly provided direct support for illicit activities based in Colombia.
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