Ecuador's Coast Guard Battles Cartels in a Sisyphean Task

Strategic Insights -

As the Ecuadorean coast guard commander gazed at the submarine used to carry drugs, he expressed frustration over the endless interdiction efforts that seem to go nowhere. The cartels, he said, are always one step ahead, building more sophisticated vessels to evade authorities. Despite the Ecuadorean Navy's best efforts, the cocaine continues to flow, with 70% of the world's supply passing through the country. Ecuador's coast has become a hotbed of violence, fueled by the lucrative drug trade, and the government's efforts to combat it are hindered by the cartels' cunning and resources.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Ecuadorean Navy has captured about a dozen semi- and fully-submersible vessels over the past 15 years, but the American authorities believe only a tiny fraction of such vessels have been intercepted worldwide.
  • The cartels have developed increasingly sophisticated vessels, including submarines, to evade detection and transport drugs around the world.
  • The Ecuadorean Navy's coast guard commander estimates that one semi-submersible vessel seized by his forces had cost around $1 million to build.
  • The same vessel could carry up to two tons of cocaine, with a street value of around $50 million in the United States.
  • The power and range of the submarines have grown over the years, allowing them to traverse the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and reach destinations as far as Europe, Africa, and Australia.
  • Ecuador has become a major player in the global drug trade, with 70% of the world's cocaine passing through the country.
  • The country's coastal region has become a hotbed of violence, fueled by the lucrative drug trade, and the government's efforts to combat it are hindered by the cartels' cunning and resources.
  • The Ecuadorean coast guard commander estimates that Fireworks explosions near the navy base are a signal of a successful shipment delivered by the cartels.
  • The Los Lobos drug trafficking group, operating in Ecuador, works closely with Mexican cartels and Albanian and Italian organized crime groups to smuggle cocaine around the world.
  • Los Lobos was designated as a terrorist organization by the State Department last month.

Statistics:

  • Over the past 15 years, Ecuador has captured about a dozen semi- and fully-submersible vessels.
  • The Ecuadorean Navy's coast guard commander estimates that a semi-submersible vessel seized by his forces had cost around $1 million to build.
  • The same vessel could carry up to two tons of cocaine, with a street value of around $50 million in the United States.
  • The Los Lobos drug trafficking group was designated as a terrorist organization by the State Department last month.
  • 70% of the world's cocaine passes through Ecuador.

Sources:

  • The New York Times, "Ecuador's Coast Guard Battles Cartels in a Sisyphean Task" by Maria Abi-Habib and Daniele Volpe
  • Insight Crime, a research organization, cited in the article as a source for information on the cartels' use of thermal imaging cameras and cooling devices to evade detection.
  • The State Department, cited in the article as a source for information on Los Lobos being designated as a terrorist organization.