Military commanders have begun taking on the fight against "narco-terrorist gangs," who are currently in a bloody war over drug trafficking. This includes the Los Choneros and Los Lobos gangs. The military's primary focus is taking action in Manabi, while reinforcing actions in Portoviejo, Guayaquil, and Los Rios.

Approximately 500 officers from the National Police's intelligence, investigative, and preventative divisions have been deployed to address the violence. Since 2021, the violent conflicts within Ecuadorian prisons have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of inmates, with their remains frequently discovered dismembered, mutilated, or incinerated.

Bloody massacres have claimed the lives of 460 inmates, typically as a consequence of conflicts between rival drug-related organizations with connections to the Mexican and Colombian cartels as they contend for authority. Ecuador's streets have also been affected by this violence, as the country reported 47 homicides per 100,000 residents last year, a significant increase from six in 100,000 in 2018, per the paper.

"We are facing a very dangerous enemy, very prepared, well equipped and with a lot of economic power," said Loffredo.