Footage released by the Ecuadorian military captures a dramatic escalation in the country’s ongoing campaign against organized crime, showing its artillery forces firing a multiple rocket launcher system at suspected Los Lobos cartel positions in Imbabura province, near the Colombian border.

The video, recorded amid mist-shrouded mountain terrain, depicts Ecuadorian soldiers operating what appears to be a Grad multiple rocket launcher system. Moments later, trails of rockets streak across the sky before erupting in a series of distant explosions—marking one of the most intense anti-cartel offensives recently documented by the Ecuadorian armed forces.

According to military sources, the operation targeted entrenched hideouts used by Los Lobos, a powerful criminal organization accused of drug trafficking, extortion, and violent attacks across Ecuador. The cartel, which has been linked to deadly prison riots and assassinations in recent years, is considered one of the most dangerous groups operating within the nation’s borders.

Ecuador’s security forces have significantly expanded their operations in northern provinces like Imbabura and Esmeraldas, regions long exploited by drug syndicates for cross-border smuggling routes into Colombia. The military’s latest show of force underscores President Daniel Noboa’s intensified crackdown on organized crime, following months of escalating violence that have shaken the country’s stability.

No official casualty figures have been released, and authorities have not yet confirmed whether the targeted Los Lobos units were neutralized. However, the Ministry of Defense hailed the action as part of a broader effort to reclaim control of areas overrun by cartel influence.

The use of heavy artillery in such mountainous terrain signals a shift in Ecuador’s counter-narcotics tactics—moving from police-led raids toward large-scale military interventions designed to dismantle cartel infrastructure and disrupt their supply chains.

As Ecuador continues to confront its worst wave of organized crime in decades, these latest operations near the Colombian frontier highlight both the government’s determination and the mounting risks of an intensifying conflict that shows no sign of slowing down.