FBI Opens First Ecuador Office as Quito Prepares for Major Offensive on Criminal Groups

Pro-establishment narrative

Ecuador's security crisis is real, with U.S.-designated terrorist groups fueling soaring violence, infiltrating institutions and turning the country into a major cocaine transit hub. When an allied nation faces an existential threat from transnational criminal organizations, like Ecuador, the U.S. cannot stand aside. Doing nothing is a choice that would affect overall security in the Western Hemisphere — and which costs would fall hardest on Ecuadorians.