![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/valorguardians.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cartel.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The joint force carried out “lethal kinetic operations,” the first known attack on cartels since the combined mission started this week.<\/em> American and Ecuadorian forces carried out \u201clethal kinetic strikes\u201d against drug traffickers in Ecuador near the Colombian border, U.S. Southern Command announced on Friday.<\/p>\n The operation targeted a training camp used by the Comandos de la Frontera, Ecuador\u2019s defense ministry said, and was located in the northeast of the country. It was the apparent first strike involving U.S. forces in South America since the attack on Venezuela in January and the first confirmed action by U.S. troops since its anti-cartel mission was announced.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the request of Ecuador, the Department of War executed targeted action to advance our shared objective of dismantling narco-terrorist networks,\u201d Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on X, using the Trump administration\u2019s name for the Department of Defense.<\/p>\n SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis Donovan meanwhile said in a statement that the operation on Friday targeted \u201cDesignated Terrorist Organizations.\u201d
\nNicholas Slayton<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
\nVideo shared by SOUTHCOM of the operation on March 6 shows troops boarding a helicopter before aerial footage shows helicopters flying over the camp, located along a river. The footage then shows the camp being rocked by an explosion, a blast captured on camera from the air and the ground. Video taken on the ground shows the building completely destroyed.
\nVideo:
\nX.com<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n