March 12 (UPI) -- Ecuador formalized the opening of the first permanent FBI office in Quito, a step that strengthens cooperation with the United States in the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking amid the worst wave of violence recorded in the country.
The agreement was signed Wednesday by Ecuadorian and U.S. authorities and establishes a framework for cooperation to share information, coordinate operations and promote joint investigations against transnational criminal organizations.
The new office will allow both countries to improve their capacity to "identify, dismantle and bring to justice those who traffic drugs, launder money, smuggle weapons and finance terrorism," the U.S. Embassy in Quito said.
Hoy celebramos otro hito estratégico y operativo en la seguridad. En Quito, el Chargé d'Affaires a.i. de la Embajada y Consulado de los Estados Unidos, Lawrence Petroni, inauguró la apertura de la primera Oficina Federal de Investigación del FBI (Buró Federal de Investigaciones)... pic.twitter.com/WoUHcYP9oD— US Embassy Ecuador (@USembassyEC) March 11, 2026
During the official event, Ecuador's interior minister, John Reimberg, said the initiative will make it possible to more effectively confront criminal networks operating in the region.
