Ecuador’s $30 Billion Narco-War: President Noboa Faces a Relentless Enemy

President Daniel Noboa asserts that narcotrafficking groups move over $30 billion yearly in Ecuador, a figure he revealed on TC Televisión on February 18, 2025.

This staggering sum, nearly a quarter of the nation’s $125 billion GDP, fuels drugs, arms, and illegal mining. Noboa, who declared an “internal armed conflict” against these “terrorist” bands in January 2024, calls it a war.

Ecuador shifts from a peaceful transit point to a narco-battleground, wedged between cocaine giants Colombia and Peru. Local gangs like Los Choneros ally with Mexican cartels, controlling ports and prisons.

The $30 billion estimate, though debated, reflects a vast illicit economy dwarfing legal sectors. Violence escalates as gangs strike boldly, assassinating Colonel Porfirio Cedeño on February 14 near Guayaquil’s chaotic Penitenciaría del Litoral.

This attack follows 294 tons of drugs seized in 2024, worth $560 million, yet murders soar. January 2025 records 731 homicides, the deadliest month in years.

Noboa deploys the military, arrests 15,000 suspects, and disrupts gang finances, but corruption hampers progress. He slams judges who free criminals, fueling public frustration. Illegal mining bleeds $3.6 million monthly from the state, while arms flow from black markets.

Once an “island of peace,” Ecuador now grapples with over 8,000 murders in 2024, up from 4,603 in 2021. Guayaquil bears the brunt, its prison a gang stronghold with 400 inmate deaths since 2021. Noboa’s hardline stance mirrors El Salvador’s Bukele, yet the enemy adapts.

The $30 billion figure highlights a crisis where crime rivals the state, funding violence and influence. Noboa insists, “This isn’t their country,” but challenges mount. Judicial rot, prison chaos, and relentless attacks test his resolve as 2025 unfolds.

This war shapes Ecuador’s future, pitting a young leader against a $30 billion shadow economy. Success hinges on dismantling networks while restoring trust. For now, the bloodshed continues, and the stakes rise daily.