Security operations carried out by Ecuador's Bloque de Seguridad between January and July 2026 caused losses of nearly 20 billion dollars to criminal economies operating in the country, the Ministry of Defense reported on Tuesday, August 4.
The ministry said the economic damage stemmed from actions against illegal activities including drug trafficking, illegal mining, fuel smuggling, and trafficking of weapons, ammunition and explosives.
Drug Trafficking Hit Hardest
An official assessment found the biggest impact was on drug trafficking, which accounted for losses exceeding 14 billion dollars over the first seven months of 2026.
Illegal mining organizations registered losses of more than 4 billion dollars, the ministry said.
Fuel and Arms Smuggling Losses
The report also covered fuel trafficking, with losses topping 250 million dollars, and more than 31 million dollars attributed to trafficking in weapons, ammunition and explosives.
The Ministry of Defense said the results reflect the impact of Bloque de Seguridad operations on organized crime's sources of financing.
