Ecuador raid nets Jalisco cartel operatives in Isla Mocolí drug trafficking hub

Ecuadorian authorities captured individuals linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel on Isla Mocolí, exposing a logistics node for drug collection and shipment to the US, Europe, and Central America. The operation confirms the cartel's expanding transnational footprint in Ecuador's coastal areas, though the scale and leadership level of the captured operatives remain unclear. This signals heightened cartel penetration in Ecuador, a key transit country, with implications for regional security and drug flows.