Ecuador destroys 5+ tons of seized drugs, $263M loss to cartels

Ecuador's Interior Ministry reported destruction of over five tons of narcotics seized between August and September 2026, representing an estimated $263 million loss for organized crime networks in the US, Europe, and Ecuador. The action continues Ecuador's ongoing counter-narcotics campaign amid its role as a transit hub for cocaine. The figure is a ministry claim; independent verification of the drugs' value and origin is pending.