Noboa cites 12 extraditions and nearly 300 tons of drugs seized in U.S.-backed crackdown

Nearly 300 tons of drugs and a dozen alleged crime bosses sent north to face U.S. justice were held up as proof that Ecuador’s security strategy is starting to bite, even as violence tied to organized crime continues to rattle daily life. In his May 24, 2026 State of the Union-style address, President Daniel Noboa framed the campaign as an aggressive pursuit of top targets, promising, “We will seek them out, find them and extradite them.” ^[1]

Noboa cast the crackdown as closely aligned with Washington, describing a U.S.-backed approach that pairs high-profile extraditions with major narcotics seizures. He cited 12 extraditions to the United States and “almost 300 tons” of drugs seized as emblematic of the government’s methods and its intent to keep pressure on trafficking networks that have turned Ecuador into a key corridor for cocaine moving to global markets. ^[1]

The president also argued that the country’s economic and social recovery hinges on restoring a sense of safety at home. Ecuador, he said, cannot develop “if families live in fear” because of organized crime, a warning that tied public security directly to investment, schooling and the routines of everyday life. ^[2]

Noboa’s remarks come as his administration presses ahead with a hard-line posture that has expanded cooperation with U.S. authorities and elevated extradition as a central tool against powerful criminal leaders. ^[1]