US gives Ecuador nearly $20 million in new funding, drones to fight drug gangs

5/9/2025 6:26

The United States announced new security commitments for Ecuador during Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to the Andean country on Thursday, as Washington seeks to expand its crackdown on illegal immigration and drug cartels.



The commitments include over $13 million in general security funding for Ecuador, plus $6 million for drones for the Ecuadorean Navy, Rubio said.



"This is the beginning of what we can do together," Rubio said, saying the U.S. would consider a military base in Ecuador if invited by that country.



Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa supports such a base but needs voter approval in a referendum. The U.S. previously had a base in the coastal city of Manta, but left in 2009 on orders from Ecuador's then-president.



The United States also designated two Ecuadorean criminal groups, Los Choneros and Los Lobos, as foreign terrorist organizations, Rubio said.