The U.S. military and Ecuadorean forces claimed to have destroyed an armed group's training camp in San Martín, Ecuador, on March 24, 2026. Residents immediately disputed the claim, asserting the site was a functioning dairy farm. The Times visited the location, confirming the structures were agricultural, not military, facilities. This incident raises serious questions about intelligence accuracy and potential diplomatic friction between Washington and Quito. The error occurred during a joint counter-narcotics operation, a critical area of U.S. security cooperation in the region.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing