US Launches Military Offensive as (Trump-Hater) Gustavo Petro Says Colombia “Is Being Bombed”

[Conservative Angle]

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Here’s something that has slipped mostly under the radar.

That’s because Iran and the sudden resignation of Joe Kent from NCTC is sucking up most of the bandwidth in the current news cycle.

If you’ve somehow missed the controversy surrounding Joe Kent today, here’s where you can catch up on that — courtesy of Anthony’s reporting:

• US National Counterterrorism Director Joe Kent Resigns: ‘I Cannot In Good Conscience Support The Ongoing War…
• President Trump BLASTS Joe Kent Following Surprise Resignation Announcement

What I’m reporting on now might not rise to the level of either of those stories — yet.

But that could change fast, depending on how things play out.

And either way this cookie crumbles…

The US military’s involvement in Central and South America is a HUGE piece of the puzzle involving China, Russia, and even Iran — essentially all the major adversarial players trying to put the squeeze on the United States.

But already we have questions about how much the US military is involved in Ecuador’s military assault on the cartels (along with the related debate of “should we be”).

And now reports of bombs reportedly (there are accusations and denials) landing in the territory of COLOMBIA — with dozens of deaths reported as a result.

And a renewed squabble breaking out between the conservative President of Ecuador — aligned with President Trump — and the leftist President with a rebel past in Colombia who has outright threatened President Trump in the past.

And the United States is apparently smackdab in the middle of that situation.

So, here’s what we know so far about the situation down south.

First off, this WASN’T a giant surprise. (At least, it wouldn’t have been… except for the aforementioned news cycle that mostly buried it.)

Technically, the US and Ecuador have said they already “launched operations” more than a week ago.

But the events of the last few days have taken things to a new level, with legitimate military strikes now reported.

To be clear, the US Southern Command announced the upcoming military ops alongside Ecuadorian forces more than a week ago:

On March 3, Ecuadorian and U.S. military forces launched operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador. The operations are a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.

Together,… pic.twitter.com/MrkKZcrDbs

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) March 4, 2026

Here’s the full text from US Southern Command’s announcement on X:

On March 3, Ecuadorian and U.S. military forces launched operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador. The operations are a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.

Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere.

“We commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces for their unwavering commitment to this fight, demonstrating courage and resolve through continued actions against narco-terrorists in their country.” – #SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan.

On the face of it, that reads as if it’s almost business as usual; at least business as usual for the Trump Administration with cartel goons in their sights.

Alright — drug boats are going to keep getting hit, intel sharing will continue, etc.

But a few more details included in a report from Task & Purpose just a day after that announcement from Southern Command gave some hints that this might not be merely business as usual.

For one thing, so far, no one is prepared to say that the U.S. is ONLY operating on the intel side of these operations slated to take place on the ground, within the territory of Ecuador.

No one is saying we have ‘combat boots on the ground’ in the classic sense, either. (Though, apparently, we do to some degree — in more than one way — which I’m about to cover.)

But the full degree to which US military personnel are prepared to engage in combat operations against “Designated Terrorist Organizations” on Ecuadorian soil isn’t being specified just yet, as was highlighted in this from Task & Purpose:

Ecuadorian and U.S. forces have started a joint operation against drug trafficking groups in the South American country, U.S. Southern Command said Tuesday evening.

The operations inside Ecuador are targeting “narco-terrorist” groups that are designated terrorist organizations, SOUTHCOM said. The new mission is the first one announced by the U.S. military since troops returned to a former base in Ecuador this winter and the first ground operation in South America since the raid to capture Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro.

The extent of the American presence there is unclear, as is the scope or duration of this joint operation. Video shared by SOUTHCOM showed clips of a helicopter on the ground — which appears to be an Airbus Super Puma — along with black and white video, likely taken from a drone or aircraft overhead, showing ground forces moving toward helicopters on the ground.

SOUTHCOM did not identify the groups, except to say that they are “Designated Terrorist Organizations.” Last year, President Donald Trump’s administration designated two drug trafficking groups, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Those groups have caused extensive violence in Ecuador over recent years.

The operation also comes a day after SOUTHCOM’s new chief, Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, wrapped up a two-day visit to Ecuador and met with its top leaders.

That said, there IS clear indication that the US is digging in.

And preparing for a serious fight — in Ecuador — against the narco-terrorist cartels that fall under the scope of “Designated Terrorist Organizations”.

For one thing, did you know we just opened a full-fledged FBI office inside Ecuador???

That happened less than a week ago! Coincidence? No such thing.

Check this out, as shared on X from the US Embassy in Ecuador (I’ll put the English translation down below):

Hoy celebramos otro hito estratégico y operativo en la seguridad. En Quito, el Chargé d’Affaires a.i. de la Embajada y Consulado de los Estados Unidos, Lawrence Petroni, inauguró la apertura de la primera Oficina Federal de Investigación del FBI (Buró Federal de Investigaciones)… pic.twitter.com/WoUHcYP9oD

— US Embassy Ecuador (@USembassyEC) March 11, 2026

Here’s the full English translation from that announcement:

Today we celebrate another strategic and operational milestone in security. In Quito, the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy and Consulate of the United States, Lawrence Petroni, inaugurated the opening of the first Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) office in Ecuador. The Chargé d’Affaires a.i. highlighted: “With this memorandum and with the creation of the FBI’s trusted unit, we enhance our joint capacity to identify, dismantle, and bring to justice those who traffic drugs, launder money, smuggle weapons, and finance terrorism”.

We definitely didn’t do that for no reason.

Earlier, I called that “digging in” — and I’ll stand by that as an accurate description.

A few more details emerged a few days ago from the Ecuadorian side.

For one thing, they are being very proactive about avoiding civilian casualties — “collateral victims” — according to the Ecuadorian Interior Minister.

That sounds very much like a bullet item on a list of priorities emphasized by the US military attaché working coordination between the Ecuadorians and the United States, in my humble opinion.

He characterized the operations as being large and described the US involvement as “significant” even prior to the uptick in operations on Sunday, as was reported by the Associated Press:

Ecuador will launch a major offensive against criminal organizations in three western provinces this weekend with logistical support from the United States, the interior minister said Wednesday.

“We do not want collateral victims from the attacks we are about to launch,” Reimberg said. “We have significant support from U.S. forces for the operations we are about to carry out.”

The attacks against violent criminal groups are aimed at “destroying what they have built in various parts of the country,” Reimberg said, although he declined to provide specific details, citing security concerns.

Later Wednesday, Ecuador and the U.S. announced an agreement to establish the first-ever FBI office in Ecuador, a move described by U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Lawrence Petroni as “a very important milestone” in strengthening the operational bond between the FBI and Ecuadorian police.

The FBI office will start operations inside the U.S. Embassy in Quito, according to the police. Vice President María José Pinto praised the initiative as essential for “better investigating and understanding criminal threats.” (Emphasis added.)

Now, this is where things started to spiral a little.

At least they have in terms of the news cycle and on social media — the third and fourth fronts of any literal military operation these days.

So, as I said, on Sunday things started to ramp up.

That’s when John Reimberg, the Ecuadorian Interior Minister quoted above, started dropping both hype videos and updates on the operations, ticking off mission critical goals as they were met.

This one touted a surge in police presence in support of the operations, and called out the “mafias” directly (English translation below):

35 mil efectivos de @PoliciaEcuador desplegados en Guayas, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas y El Oro. Listos por

.

A las mafias: se les acabó su tiempo.

Nada nos detiene. pic.twitter.com/q2vP6CSG73

— John Reimberg (@JohnReimberg) March 15, 2026

Here’s the English translation from Reimberg’s post:

35,000 police officers from @PoliciaEcuador
deployed in Guayas, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, and El Oro. Ready for

.

To the mafias: your time is up.

Nothing stops us.

Also on Sunday, a top Spanish language conservative political news outlet shared the following footage.

This is purportedly Ecuadorian military staging for the now ongoing operations in tandem with the US military against the cartels:

#Urgente El Gobierno de Daniel Noboa en Ecuador dispone capturas de narcoteroristas vivos o mu3rtos pic.twitter.com/ULhhj6947o

— Reacción Nacional (@RNacional_News) March 16, 2026

Here’s the English translation from that report:

The Government of Daniel Noboa in Ecuador orders the capture of narcoterrorists dead or alive.

I didn’t spot any US military folks in that video, so there’s that.

But the overall size of the operation became a little more clear on Sunday as well, with Ecuador is claiming an enormous number of personnel involved on their side.

And as operations on the ground increased this past Sunday, those numbers were detailed by the BBC:

The Ecuadorean government has deployed more than 75,000 police officers and soldiers to four of the country’s most violence-wracked provinces, the interior minister says.

[President] Noboa’s government has been working with the administration of US President Donald Trump to quell the flow of cocaine from Ecuador to the US.

Noboa was one of the Latin American leaders to attend an international meeting hosted by Trump in Mar-a-Lago, which the US authorities dubbed the “Shield of the Americas” summit.

At the summit, Trump likened criminal gangs to a “cancer” and urged his Latin American counterparts to use military force to root them out.

“We don’t want it spreading,” Trump added.

Following the meeting, Noboa posted a photo on social media of himself standing next to Trump with the words: “For too long, the mafias thought that America was their territory. That they could cross borders, move drugs, guns and [spread] violence without consequences. Their time has run out.” (Emphasis added.)

For his part, the President of Ecuador is seemingly fully invested in what President Trump wants to dish out to the cartels.

Here’s the social media post mentioned in the previous BBC report, with President Daniel Noboa standing proudly with President Trump — boldly calling out the cartels:

Durante demasiado tiempo las mafias creyeron que América era su territorio. Que podían cruzar fronteras, mover droga, armas y violencia sin consecuencias.

Ese tiempo se les ha acabado. pic.twitter.com/emVQpOtAnP

— Daniel Noboa Azin (@DanielNoboaOk) March 7, 2026

Again, here’s the English translation from his post:

For far too long, the mafias believed that America was their territory.

That they could cross borders, move drugs, weapons, and violence without consequences. That time is over for them.

But not everyone is excited about the ongoing military cooperation between the US and Ecuador.

President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has never been a fan of President Trump.

I’ve covered him before — including this time a few months ago when Gustavo had the nerve to THREATEN President Trump:

President of Colombia Threatens President Trump – TWICE – During Menacing New Interview

With that as a primer, keep in mind that Petro is in the back pocket of China.

And he aligns himself far more ideologically with the politics of Tehran and Moscow just based on their anti-Trump coloring...

Than he does the good ole' US of A.

Particularly a USA with President Trump at the helm, with all Petro's shady dealings potentially going up in smoke faster than a narco-go-fast-boat caught in the romantic gleam of a FLIR imaging recon flight.

Ka-Boom. (Sorry, started daydreaming there for a moment.)

President Petro is now claiming that the joint operations by the US and Ecuador are responsible for dozens of dead, following reports of bombs landing on Colombian soil...

Which allegedly originated from Ecuador, per the Colombian President, and reported by Reuters:

The charred remains of 27 people were found in Colombia after bombings near the border ‌with Ecuador, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Tuesday as ‌his Ecuadorean counterpart, Daniel Noboa, said his country bombed drug traffickers in its own territory.

Petro later reposted an image from Colombian state-run RTVC television it said showed one of the bombs - a dark green cylinder lying in foliage.

The social ‌media exchanges were the latest friction between Noboa and Petro, who have also battled over tariffs.

Noboa raised duties on Colombian goods to 50% last month, claiming his neighbor was not doing ‌enough to fight drug trafficking, and Colombia said it was considering a reciprocal measure.

Here's the social media post offered up by Gustavo as proof of his accusations:

Investigar a profundidad está bomba caída en la frontera colombiana con Ecuador desde avión. Cayó a cien metros de la vivienda de una familia campesina empobrecida pic.twitter.com/QCjb20lvxY

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) March 17, 2026

And here's the English translation from his post:

Investigate in depth this bomb dropped on the Colombian border with Ecuador from an airplane. It fell one hundred meters from the home of an impoverished peasant family.

I have no idea whether or not bombs of any kind are falling on Colombian territory, or if they did, whether or not they originated from Ecuador.

There is no independent confirmation that I'd trust at this point to verify either the reported bombings or the casualties Gustavo is claiming happened as a result.

I'll keep my eyes on this as it plays out, expecting things to get heated in the near term.

Meanwhile, Ecuador's President denies the claims completely.

President Noboa agreed that some of the targets were in fact "Colombian", presumably meaning Colombians targeted inside Ecuador.

But he asserted that all targets attacked alongside the US were fully in the confines of Ecuador, as was reported later today by the Associated Press:

Ecuador’s president on Tuesday rejected allegations that his country is bombing targets in neighboring Colombia as tensions escalate between the two South American nations.

President Daniel Noboa said on X that his government “is fighting narco terrorism in all its forms” and “bombing places that serve as hideouts for those groups, of which many are Colombian,” but only within Ecuadorian territory.

The dispute comes as Colombia prepares for presidential elections in May, and relations deteriorate between Colombia and Ecuador, two neighboring nations that were once close commercial and security partners.

Recently Noboa’s government conducted a joint operation with U.S. forces against a drug traffickers camp near Ecuador’s border with Colombia, where drones, helicopters and river boats were deployed.

Petro, a leftist who was a member of a rebel group in his youth, has attempted to stage peace talks with Colombia’s remaining rebel groups under a strategy known as total peace.

Critics say the groups have used ceasefires with the government to tighten their grip over rural communities, as they fight over territory abandoned by the FARC, the guerrilla group that made a peace deal with Colombia’s government in 2016.

That situation will be playing out in the days to come, with accusations likely to crescendo on the world stage.

Look for United Nations grandstanding on the part of China and Russia on behalf of President Gustavo Petro, to be sure.

Meanwhile, Ecuador's Ministry of Defense is highlighting successful missions in keeping with President Trump's call to eviscerate the cartels militarily:

¡EL BLOQUE DE SEGURIDAD EN ACCIÓN!

3 OBJETIVOS MILITARES NEUTRALIZADOS; OBJETIVO DE ALTO VALOR DE “LOS TIGUERONES” CAPTURADO!

Durante el toque de queda, el #BloqueDeSeguridad a través de las @FFAAECUADOR destruyó 3 objetivos militares, eliminando así uno de los espacios… pic.twitter.com/T9rq2akAxw

— Ministerio de Defensa Nacional del Ecuador (@DefensaEc) March 16, 2026

Here's the full text of that victory post, in English:

THE SECURITY BLOCK IN ACTION!

3 MILITARY TARGETS NEUTRALIZED; HIGH-VALUE TARGET OF “LOS TIGUERONES” CAPTURED!

During the curfew, the #BloqueDeSeguridad through the @FFAAECUADOR destroyed 3 military targets, thereby eliminating one of the spaces used by the mafias to commit their crimes.

CAPTURED: Bryan José M., high-value military target, member of the organized crime group “Los Tiguerones”. We searched for him, and we found him.

INTERVENTION: another military target was dismantled, a criminal operations center used by a criminal organization for surveillance and access control, where technological infrastructure was found that was used to monitor movements in the sector.

The operations against military targets were carried out in #Guayas, as part of the actions to dismantle criminal structures and recover spaces used for illicit activities.

The mafias will have no truce in #Ecuador.

This all comes on the heels of Maduro's capture by the US...

High profile cartel takedowns in Mexico, with US involvement...

And Cuba increasingly becoming a topic of conversation for President Trump.

Did I mention that Cuban officials were expelled from Ecuador just prior to the FBI Office opening up in the Capital city of Quito?

And now, as we've covered, Cuba is openly talking about secret talks with President Trump... even as their POWER GRID goes down and -- as Noah covered earlier today -- President Trump is expecting to "take Cuba"?:

President Trump: “I do believe I’ll be having the honor of taking Cuba!”

There are several angles from which to approach this story -- and I tried very hard not to commit fully to ANY of them in this single article.

There are just too many pieces of the puzzle, too many connected dominoes all starting to fall in a related pattern... but happening so fast that it's impossible to fully prognosticate correctly what will happen next.

I don't have a crystal ball, and things will have to play out for us to really know where everything is headed here.

But there is one theme that seems rather obvious.

When President Trump starts talking about changing things up, reclaiming dominance in our own hemisphere through reviving the Monroe Doctrine, and taking the fight to our nearest threats (criminal, terrorist, or otherwise) --

He's obviously not playing around.

Whether you like it, hate it, agree with it, or even if you're completely disgusted by our involvement...

There's one fact that can't be logically argued against.

President Trump said he would shake things up with the cartels and the nation states in which they thrive, and he's done exactly that.

No -- he's DOING exactly that.

The squabbling between national rulers caught up in that whirlwind is sure to run unabated as President Trump's intervention runs it's course, both militarily and diplomatically. (Economically...)

And he is showing no signs of running out of stubborn intention to see the job he swore to accomplish... accomplished.

Things in South America are just starting to really heat up, with President Trump now only in his 14th month as President.

I'd say he has quite a bit more runway in front of him, and a lot more in store for the terrorists in our own hemisphere up his sleeve.

WHATEVER comes next in our southern neighborhood, my hope is that this story serves as a good primer for what is starting to kick off in Ecuador and Colombia.

And we'll bring you all the details and facts as they unfold -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The post <a href=https://wltreport.com/2026/03/18/us-launches-military-offensive-as-trump-hater-gustavo/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=us-launches-military-offensive-as-trump-hater-gustavo target=_blank >US Launches Military Offensive as (Trump-Hater) Gustavo Petro Says Colombia “Is Being Bombed”</a> appeared first on Conservative Angle | Conservative Angle - Conservative News Clearing House

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