Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said on September 11 that security forces have destroyed 1,119 illegal mining camps so far in 2026, as part of a wider crackdown on drug trafficking and organized crime.
Noboa posted the update on his social media accounts, presenting it as a summary of operations carried out by the Armed Forces and the National Police. He said that in September alone, more than 8 tonnes of drugs had been seized, 1,786 alleged criminals had been arrested, and over 800 operations had been carried out nationwide.
President's comments on illegal mining
Noboa said the destruction of the mining camps meant fewer contaminated rivers, fewer families living near areas controlled by criminals, and millions of dollars no longer flowing to criminal structures.
He wrote that the results spoke for themselves, adding that the government continued to strike at the criminal structures that he said were taking away the country's peace.
How the camp count has grown
The tally of destroyed illegal mining camps in 2026 has built up over the course of the year. In the first quarter, the Armed Forces had already reported 641 camps dismantled across eleven provinces following 1,151 operations nationwide, with the economic damage to mining mafias estimated at 1.696 billion dollars. Imbabura province had the highest number of camps destroyed at that point, with 327, followed by Zamora Chinchipe, Morona Santiago, Azuay and Carchi.
Defense Ministry's August figures
By August, Ecuador's Ministry of Defense had raised the count to 1,056 camps and 1,644 mine entrances intervened since January. It also reported the destruction or disabling of 468 ore-processing units, 501 backhoes and 266 dredges used in illegal mineral extraction.
Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo has said on several occasions that these operations are carried out continuously, including in hard-to-reach areas within protected zones.
