The United States has established its first local office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Ecuador, marking a new step in security cooperation between Washington and Quito as authorities intensify efforts to combat drug trafficking and organized crime.
The announcement was made by the U.S. Embassy in Quito, which said the office will work directly with Ecuadorian authorities to tackle crimes including drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
According to Ecuador’s Interior Minister John Reimberg, the collaboration will begin immediately and represents an expansion of existing cooperation between the two countries.
“What has changed is that we now have FBI agents permanently in Ecuador working alongside a specialized national police unit,” Reimberg told reporters. He said the joint team will focus on intelligence sharing and operational coordination in investigations targeting criminal networks.
The move comes as Ecuador faces a sharp surge in organized crime and violence linked to international drug trafficking routes. The government of President Daniel Noboa has made the fight against criminal groups a central pillar of its security strategy.
In recent months, Ecuadorian authorities have launched a series of military-backed operations aimed at dismantling trafficking organizations operating across the country. These efforts have increasingly involved cooperation with international partners, particularly the United States.
Last week, Ecuadorian forces conducted a joint operation with U.S. officials targeting drug trafficking networks, part of a broader campaign to disrupt criminal groups that use the country as a key transit route for cocaine shipments heading to North America and Europe.
The establishment of the FBI office signals deeper security ties between the two nations as Ecuador seeks additional international support to confront growing criminal threats.