Ecuador has embarked on a significant new phase in its efforts to combat drug trafficking by collaborating with US forces in joint operations. The US Southern Command emphasizes that this initiative is aimed at fighting the escalating "scourge of narco-terrorism" affecting the region. Approximately 70 percent of cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru traverses Ecuador, making the collaboration vital for controlling drug routes and minimizing the violence that has plagued the nation due to drug cartels and gangs.