Ecuador destroys over 100,000 coca plants near Colombian border

The Ecuadorian army has destroyed more than 100,000 coca plants along the Colombian border in the past week, operations that dealt an estimated $1.2 million blow to criminal groups Source: infobae. The latest action, announced on July 20, saw soldiers destroy four hectares of coca crops—about 40,000 plants—in the La Balastrera sector of Sucumbíos province, using air and river transport Source: diariolibree.

Operations and impact

• On July 20, troops raided La Balastrera, destroying 40,000 plants and damaging drug cartel infrastructure Source: diariolibree.
• Earlier that week, the military had destroyed a separate plot of 60,000 plants near the San Miguel River, along with an active cocaine lab capable of producing 80–120 kg of base per cycle Source: infobae.
• The Ministry of Defense stated that the operations "continue hitting criminal economies at their source, reducing the resources that finance drug trafficking, arms trafficking, contract killings, and other illicit activities that threaten the country's security" Source: diariolibree.

Political context

The eradication comes amid recent tensions between Ecuador and Colombia over cross-border drug flows. In February-June 2026, Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa launched a trade war—escalating tariffs from 30% to 100%—to pressure Colombia's President Gustavo Petro to reinforce border security Source: infobae. The dispute concluded after intervention by the Andean Community (CAN), though Noboa attributed the resolution to an agreement with Colombia's president-elect . The military's ongoing eradication efforts underscore Ecuador's effort to curb narcotrafficking along the porous border.