Ecuadorian police conducted an operation on August 12 in the province of Esmeraldas, in the northwest region of the country, resulting in the seizure of approximately 1.6 tons of cocaine hydrochloride.
The operation took place in San Gregorio, Muisne, where law enforcement officers discovered 1,611 packages of the drug. Some of these packages bore the logo of American television channel CNN.
Authorities identified Esmeraldas as a potential storage and transportation hub for prohibited substances. During the operation, officers recovered an additional 40 bags of cocaine hydrochloride, along with a speedboat, two outboard engines, and about 900 liters of fuel—items likely used in maritime drug trafficking.
This incident follows recent trends of increased large-scale narcotics seizures in Ecuador.
Separately, on August 12, officials from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana announced the seizure of what they described as one of the largest methamphetamine shipments in the state’s history. The drugs were found hidden within a semi-trailer belonging to a Russian citizen during an ongoing operation.
