Ecuadorian forces sunk “narco sub“near the northern border as the nation cooperates with the US military to fight organized crime in the country, the Ministry of Defense of Ecuador said on Wednesday.
Ecuador and the US began joint military operations on Tuesday, the US Southern Command said on social media. The scope of the work is not clear. The US Southern Command shared video of a helicopter flying over a group of men, but officials did not disclose where the footage was taken.
“We are taking serious measures to deal with drug terrorists who have been causing violence and corruption to citizens all over the world for a long time,” said the organization.
The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, earlier this week said that his government is starting to work in cooperation with other countries as part of a new strategy to fight organized crime, reported the Associated Press. Ecuador and the US often cooperate on security issues. The South American country faced this a continuing wave of violence related to drug trafficking and illegal mining, according to the Associated Press.
Ecuador’s Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday that “a military operation led to the discovery of a clandestine camp and a drug vessel” in the mangrove forest of Cayapas-Mataje that was ready to be used for “illegal activities.”
The boat, also called a “narco-submersible,” was about 115 feet long and “ready to embark on a long journey,” the ministry said. Officials said the vessel “may have been intended for drug trafficking.” The images show several members of the military standing on top of the bottom, which appears to be covered in plant debris.
The soldiers were shot after they found the area and opened fire, the Ministry of Defense said. Officials did not say whether there were any deaths or injuries among the soldiers or those in the camp.
Besides the submarine, the soldiers found speedboats, seven outboard engines, 25 tanks containing 1,375 liters of diesel, 6,000 liters of fuel, 120 empty fuel tanks, ship’s equipment and a gun in the campsite. The Ministry of Defense said that these assets show “the presence of a structure intended to sustain illegal activities in this strategic area.”
Narco subs, which can go completely underwater, are popular among international drug traffickers as they are sometimes invisible to law enforcement.
The Cayapas–Mataje mangrove forest is located near the border of Ecuador and Colombia, on the Pacific Coast. The reserve is dense and difficult to navigate, and contains some of the tallest mangroves in the world, according to National Geographic.
