U.S. Forces Said They Helped Ecuador Target a Terrorist Organization, But a New Investigation Shows It Was a Dairy Farm

U.S. forces claimed earlier this month that they helped Ecuadorean forces target a camp used by a drug-trafficking organization to conduct its criminal enterprise, but a new investigation shows that the location was actually a dairy farm.

The claim was made by The New York Times, which interviewed the farm's owner and some of its workers, as well as local leaders of the village of San Martin, where the strike took place.

Workers on the farm said that Ecuadorean soldiers arrived by helicopter, poured gasoline on some shelters and ignited them after questioning and beating workers. Three of them said they were chocked and given electric shocks.

Residents of San Martin also told the outlet that troops returned three days later and appeared to drop explosive on the farm's remains. It was then when the footage posted by the Southern Command was posted.

Southcom said in a social media post that the operation was a the operation was a "powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism."

"We commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces for their unwavering commitment to this fight, demonstrating courage and resolve through continued actions against narco terrorists in their country," added Southcom Commander Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan.

The Ecuadorean military said that the facility was used by a criminal group to hide weapons, and that operatives also used it to sleep and train. It added that it relied on U.S. "intelligence and support" and that it recovered guns and other "evidence of illicit activity." The claims were rejected by the farm's owner.

Once considered one of the safest countries in Latin America, Ecuador has been transformed by drug trafficking and organized crime. The 2025 Country Conditions Report from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants found that Ecuador's homicide rate rose from 6.7 per 100,000 people in 2020 to 44.5 in 2025, the highest in South America.

In an attempt to fight organized crime and the wave of violence gripping the country, President Daniel Noboa has sought closer cooperation with the United States. In November, he met with then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to discuss reopening a former U.S. military base in Manta, a coastal city in Ecuador, a proposal that was rejected in a referendum by Ecuador's Constituent Assembly.