Ecuador Expands War on Crime to Colombian Armed Groups After Military Ambush

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has officially expanded his war against organized crime to include three Colombian armed groups linked to FARC dissidents.

This decision follows a deadly ambush that killed 11 Ecuadorian soldiers on May 9 in the Amazon region. The attack occurred while approximately 80 soldiers conducted operations against illegal mining in the Alto Punino sector.

Through Presidential Decree No. 632, signed on May 15, Noboa classified three Colombian armed groups as “organized armed groups” and incorporated them as enemies within Ecuador’s “internal armed conflict.”

These groups include the Frente Oliver Sinisterra, Disidencias Comuneros del Sur, and Comandos de la Frontera. The military personnel were attacked with explosives, grenades, and firearms by members of the Border Commandos.

Among the casualties were two officers and nine enlisted soldiers. Three attackers were also killed, including one identified as “Compadre,” believed to be the regional commander of Border Commandos in Ecuador.

Following the attack, President Noboa declared three days of national mourning and posthumously designated the fallen soldiers as national heroes. The government also deployed 1,500 additional troops to the area to locate and eliminate those responsible for the ambush.

This decree builds upon Noboa’s January 2024 declaration of an “internal armed conflict” in Ecuador, which initially targeted 22 domestic criminal organizations designated as terrorist groups.

Ecuador’s Expanding Internal Conflict

The security situation in Ecuador has deteriorated dramatically in recent years, with the murder rate increasing fivefold between 2020 and 2025. The Colombian armed groups have established a significant presence in Ecuador‘s border regions.

They maintain alliances with Ecuadorian criminal gangs, notably “Los Lobos,” which is affiliated with Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation cartel. Their criminal activities include drug trafficking, illegal mining, extortion, and arms trafficking.

Illegal mining has become particularly lucrative for criminal organizations. In 2023, gold exports from small-scale mining operations surpassed $1.26 billion.

Criminal groups reportedly earned nearly $1.2 billion from mining activity in 2023, while the Ecuadorian state made only $800 million from legal operations.

As Ecuador approaches its February 2025 presidential elections, the government’s performance in the fight against crime, corruption, and insecurity will likely be a decisive factor in determining the country’s political future.

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