# U.S. Personnel Join Ecuador Raids on Network Linked to Mexico’s CJNG Cartel

*Monday, September 28, 2026 at 4:05 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-28T04:05:24.350Z (2h ago)
**Category**: geopolitics | **Region**: Latin America
**Importance**: 8/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/19016.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: About 50 U.S. Southern Command and DEA personnel joined more than 320 Ecuadorian police in raids on a structure tied to Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel, with dozens of suspects detained, according to local reports.

Joint operations in Ecuador involving U.S. and local forces have hit a structure linked to Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in a sign of how far the cartel’s networks have spread and how closely Washington is now involved in Quito’s security response.

Local reporting says roughly 50 personnel from U.S. Southern Command and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration took part alongside more than 320 Ecuadorian police officers. The coordinated raids targeted a network associated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known by its Spanish initials CJNG. Dozens of people were arrested. Authorities have not yet specified which cities or provinces were involved, or what weapons, drugs, or cash were seized.

CJNG is one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations and has moved aggressively beyond its home territory. Its presence as a focus of major raids in Ecuador underlines that the country has become part of a broader supply chain serving overseas drug markets.

For Ecuador, which is already facing a severe internal security crisis, the participation of U.S. military and DEA personnel marks an escalation in foreign-backed enforcement. Supporters argue that Ecuador needs outside help against heavily armed groups with international reach. Critics worry about sovereignty, the terms under which foreign forces operate, and whether their role will expand.

Washington sees cartel activity in Ecuador as directly connected to drug flows that eventually reach the United States. Working through Southern Command and the DEA, it is pushing for joint operations that go beyond training or intelligence-sharing when partner governments are willing.

Regionally, the raids send a message that Ecuador is prepared to host visible U.S. involvement against organized crime. Other governments confronting similar problems will be watching how effective these operations are and how Ecuadorians react to the foreign presence.

Key developments to track include any identification of high-level CJNG-linked figures among those detained, follow-up actions against related financial and logistics networks, and political debate inside Ecuador over the future scope of U.S. security participation on its territory.