US troops join Ecuador’s drug war

American military personnel joined Ecuador’s security forces in raids and arrests around the country targeting alleged drug traffickers, as the Trump administration steps up its hands-on involvement in fighting Latin America’s criminal groups.

Vowing “unmatched military might” in the Western Hemisphere, US President Donald Trump has pursued closer security ties with right-wing governments and escalated military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats.

Trump’s approach is reshaping the role of the US military in a fight long led by Latin American security forces.

“What we are seeing in Ecuador is unlike anything we’ve seen even during the Cold War,” a security expert told The Wall Street Journal, adding it could signal US troops getting “very close to or participating in combat.”