PoliticsUS announces $45m in security funding and more naval vessels for Ecuador

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa in Quito as Washington deepened security ties against drug-trafficking groups. Rubio pledged $45m in additional funding and military equipment under the Shield of the Americas initiative, while US forces expanded Pacific operations targeting suspected narco vessels. Fishermen reported sunk boats, detentions and killings; judges freed some detainees for lack of evidence, fuelling concerns about US intervention.