AMBREY INSIGHT> ECUADOR: ESCALATING SECURITY CRISIS AND MARITIME EXPOSURE TO NARCOTRAFFICKING
Date issued: 14 November 2025
“Ambrey recommends strengthening counter-narcotics measures for vessels calling Ecuadorian ports.”
Source: This document has been approved for distribution by Ambrey Analytics Ltd.
EVENTS
- Ecuador is currently under a 60-day state of emergency, effective from 5 November 2025, in response to the country’s ongoing security crisis.
- The decree covers five coastal provinces, reflecting the concentration of criminal activity around key drug trafficking routes and port access points.
- No curfews have been implemented as part of the state of emergency.
- Port operations continue without disruption; however, the deteriorating security environment has increased risks to the maritime shipping industry, particularly the threat of vessels being targeted for narcotics smuggling through Ecuadorian ports.
CONTEXT
The Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has declared a new 60-day state of emergency in five coastal provinces and three municipalities, as an answer to “grave internal unrest” triggered by escalating violence linked to organized crime.
The decree, effective on 5 November 2025, authorizes security forces to enter and search private residences without a warrant and suspends the right to private communication…