Ecuadorian security forces seized 1.5 tons of drugs in an operation at sea, where they detained two men. This was announced on Wednesday by Minister of the Interior John Reimberg. The drugs were found on a vessel intercepted 69 nautical miles off the coast of Manabí province. The Ecuadorian Navy announced the seizure of a boat and a large quantity of drugs hidden in 44 sacks. The vessel will be held for the corresponding legal procedures. According to the agency, it is a fiberglass boat equipped with four outboard motors and without a flag, which “presumably set sail with the illicit cargo from the coasts of Manabí province.” The operation was possible thanks to the coordination between the Coast Guard, the Naval Squadron, and Naval Aviation, with the support of military intelligence. The seizure “represents a significant blow to the criminal economy,” the statement added. The Navy specified that the volume of the seized substance could be worth more than $55 million on the US black market and €75 million in Europe, which significantly reduces the profits of drug trafficking organizations. Ecuador has intensified its fight against drug trafficking within the framework of the “internal armed conflict” declared by the government in January 2024 against criminal gangs classified as “terrorists.” According to official data, in 2025, authorities seized 227.1 tons of drugs, mainly cocaine. This figure is 67 tons less than the record of 294.61 tons seized in 2024.
