What Will Growing MQ-9 Presence Mean for SOUTHCOM?

U.S. Moves Spy Drones to Ecuador to Combat Drug Trafficking

By Lucas Reynoso7 October 2026The United States has sent spy drones to Colombia and Ecuador to support both countries’ actions against organized crime, two military sources told the newspaper The New York Times. The aircraft involved are an undetermined number of MQ-9 Reapers that had been stationed in Africa. Although their primary roles are linked to surveillance, they can be used in offensive operations. The arrival of these aircraft, announc…

America’s war on cartels gets a war on terror makeover

Washington is applying two decades of hard-earned battlefield experience to combat the enemy in America’s backyard, but this tactic may not destroy cartels at the root. On Monday, the U.S. military moved a number of MQ-9 Reaper drones from Africa to Colombia and Ecuador, the New York Times reported. Additionally, American Special Forces have been partnering with and training law enforcement to combat illicit drug networks. Nicknamed the “hunter-…

What Will Growing MQ-9 Presence Mean for SOUTHCOM?

A reported surge of MQ-9 Reaper drones to Latin America could widen the scope of intelligence gathering and free up more strike options against cartels in the region, experts tell Air & Space Forces Magazine. The post What Will a Growing MQ-9 Presence in Latin America Mean for SOUTHCOM? appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.

America's Deadliest Drone Just Landed in South America

The U.S. has moved MQ-9 Reaper drones from Africa to Colombia and Ecuador. Here's what that signals for the drug war.