New migration rules come as U.S. forces participate in security operations and military activity at Taura Air Base.
Ecuador has authorized U.S. military personnel, Defense Department civilian employees and contractors to enter and remain in the country for up to 180 days under a special migration registration, as U.S. forces participate in security operations alongside Ecuadorian authorities.
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The measure was established by an Interior Ministry agreement published in the Official Gazette on Aug. 18, 2026, under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between Ecuador and the United States, which has been in force since October 2023.
Under the new rules, U.S. military personnel, Defense Department civilian employees and U.S. contractors can remain in Ecuador for up to 180 days through a special migration registration under the category “Commercial Acts and Activities.”
The Ecuadorian government specifies that the registration does not constitute a visa. The measure applies to migration controls at land, air, maritime and river entry points.
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The new rules come as U.S. military and law enforcement agencies participate in operations with Ecuador’s National Police. According to the Ecuadorian government, one joint operation dismantled a criminal group allegedly linked to Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel and led to the arrest of more than 30 people.
Another operation, conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Southern Command, ended with the death of a man identified as alias Charlie, whom authorities described as a logistical and financial operator for international drug-trafficking networks.
Before that operation, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa released images of three people killed on a road in Manabí province and warned of consequences for those who threaten the country or finance illicit activities internationally.
The operations are taking place under a state of emergency in eight provinces, with nighttime curfews in four.
U.S. military activity at Taura
The security operations coincide with the presence of U.S. troops and military construction at Taura Air Base in Guayas province, where the U.S. Marine Corps is carrying out work that includes ground leveling, drone deployments and tactical aircraft flights.
Critical sectors have argued that the activities violate Article 5 of Ecuador’s Constitution, which prohibits the establishment of foreign military bases or installations in the country. The press release also points to a November 2025 referendum in which voters rejected such a presence.
The expanded security cooperation is part of Ecuador’s participation in the “Shield of the Americas” initiative promoted by the Coalition Against the Americas Cartels. The initiative includes additional U.S. funding for security operations and efforts to combat illegal mining.
OPERACIÓN CONJUNTA CONTRA UNA ESTRUCTURA DE NARCOTRÁFICO
La madrugada de hoy bajo el liderazgo de nuestro @CmdtPoliciaEc #GraSPabloDávila y el Ministro del Interior en coordinación con tropas norteamericanas y la @DEAHQ
ejecutó una operación conjunta que permitió la detención… pic.twitter.com/Iv9TcVyVkG— Policía Ecuador (@PoliciaEcuador) September 24, 2026
Text Reads: JOINT OPERATION AGAINST A DRUG TRAFFICKING STRUCTURE This morning, under the leadership of our @CmdtPoliciaEc#GraSPabloDávila and the Minister of the Interior, in coordination with U.S. troops and the @DEAHQ, a joint operation was carried out that enabled the detention of several individuals in #Guayaquil, #Daule, #Samborondón, #Ventanas, #Babahoyo, #Puebloviejo, #Vinces, and #Machala. The investigation made it possible to identify a structure dedicated to the collection, intermediation, distribution, transportation, and marketing of large quantities of drugs originating from #Colombia, which were intended to be shipped by sea from the ports of Guayaquil and Machala to Central America, the United States, and Europe. Operation in progress.
https://x.com/DEAHQ/status/2103203919585272118
Critics and organizations have also raised concerns over U.S. involvement in operations involving fishing vessels in Ecuador’s Pacific. They cite the sinking of the fishing boat Por siempre don Carlos and the disappearance of its crew, adding to disputes over national sovereignty and human rights guarantees under Noboa’s security strategy.
Prison investigations
A report by the Attorney General’s Office’s Directorate of Human Rights and Citizen Participation said that 57 investigations into violent deaths inside Ecuador’s prisons were opened between January 2024 and August 2026.
The report also recorded 392 complaints of torture during the same period, amid the militarization of prisons following the government’s declaration of an “internal armed conflict.”
The new migration rules formalize the temporary entry and stay of U.S. military personnel, Defense Department employees and contractors as security cooperation between Ecuador and Washington expands, while the growing U.S. military presence has prompted debate over constitutional restrictions, sovereignty and human rights.
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