The Police and Armed Forces of Ecuador thwarted a drug trafficking attempt on Saturday in the province of Santa Elena. During a maritime surveillance operation, they intercepted a boat carrying 1.5 tons of drugs, presumably cocaine, destined for Central America and Mexico. On the vessel, located 30 kilometers off the coast, 32 jute bags filled with the illicit substance were found.
Two men were arrested aboard the boat, where blocks of drugs, a satellite phone, fuel tanks, and radio buoys were also discovered. Everything was handed over to the prosecutor to investigate the alleged crime of drug trafficking. During the first three months of the year, Ecuador had already seized 41.5 tons of drugs, according to the Minister of the Interior.
The country ranks third in the world in drug seizures, after Colombia and the United States, with a total of 200 tons per year since 2021. Ecuador, surrounded by Colombia and Peru, major producers of cocaine, has become a key point on the drug trafficking route to Europe and North America, due to its ports and dollarized economy.