The Ecuadorean government has deployed more than 75,000 police officers and soldiers to four of the country's most violence-wracked provinces, the interior minister says. Since coming to office in November 2023, President Daniel Noboa has tried to quell drug-related violence but nevertheless Ecuador registered a record murder rate in 2025. Noboa has also joined a US-led alliance of 17 countries aimed at fighting criminal cartels in the Western Hemisphere. Around 70% of the cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru is estimated to be shipped through Ecuador. Noboa's government has been working with the administration of US President Donald Trump to quell the flow of cocaine from Ecuador to the US. " Since coming to office, Noboa has tried to combat criminal organisations in his country with an iron fist and has declared several states of emergency but nevertheless the murder rate rose by over 30% between 2024 and 2025.