John Reimberg

So what?  A joint operation with US troops physically embedded in an Ecuadorian raid, not just providing intelligence support, marks a deeper operational tempo in Quito's cooperation with Washington's cartel crackdown. The emphasis on the network's leadership and finance layer, rather than couriers, is what would actually disrupt the southwestern Ecuador export corridor; watch whether Quito's enthusiasm for hosting US forces on raids becomes a template other Andean governments adopt or a one-off that draws domestic sovereignty pushback.