NYT: US mistakenly destroys dairy farm in Ecuador instead of drug traffickers’ base

In March, the United States destroyed a livestock and dairy farm in Ecuador instead of a suspected drug traffickers’ camp, according to an investigation by The New York Times (NYT).

According to the report, US officials released a video this month showing a powerful explosion, which they claimed depicted the destruction of a drug traffickers’ camp in rural Ecuador. However, NYT, citing local villagers, reports that the strike likely destroyed a dairy and livestock farm rather than a criminal base.

The incident reportedly took place in the remote village of San Martín in northern Ecuador. According to the newspaper’s sources, US forces did not directly participate in the operation but provided a helicopter that transported Ecuadorian soldiers to the site on March 3.

The farm’s owner and local residents deny claims that the site was used to store weapons, NYT writes. According to locals, the strike was part of a broader multi-day operation by Ecuadorian forces, who earlier that week burned two abandoned houses nearby and later dropped bombs on another building.

Ecuadorian officials stated that weapons caches and other “evidence of illegal activity” were found at the destroyed sites. However, the newspaper notes that no such evidence has been presented, despite the military typically publishing photos of seized weapons and narcotics after operations.

In March, US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced that American and Ecuadorian forces had launched joint operations against drug cartels in the South American country. Footage posted on SOUTHCOM’s X account shows a group of soldiers boarding a helicopter.

In early 2025, US President Donald Trump announced tougher measures against drug trafficking, designating several Latin American cartels as terrorist organisations and authorising the use of military force against them. Since September 2025, more than 40 boats suspected of transporting drugs have reportedly been sunk in the Caribbean, with over 150 people killed.