Ecuador and US strengthen fight against kidnapping, illegal mining and money laundering
Ecuador and the United States signed tactical agreements to combat extortion, kidnapping and money laundering, including artificial intelligence technology and a permanent FBI office in Quito.
Bilateral agreements aim to defund criminal economies in Ecuador
According to larepublica.ec, the authorities of Ecuador and the United States formalised a series of tactical agreements aimed at neutralising the crimes of extortion, kidnapping and money laundering that fuel violence in the country.
The central thrust of the offensive is the signing of the Implementation Letter for the Palantir Project, a software system that will equip the Financial and Economic Analysis Unit (UAFE) with artificial intelligence tools. The objective is to track suspicious transactions in real time in order to cut off the flows of money that finance gangs engaged in extortion and forced detention.
In parallel, United States presence in Ecuadorian territory reached a new level with the formal establishment of a permanent office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the capital. Special agents of the agency will coordinate high-complexity operations alongside elite units of the National Police, with priority given to dismantling transnational networks engaged in extortionate kidnapping.
A memorandum signed with the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office of the United States also incorporates state-of-the-art biometric systems at border crossings and air terminals, with the aim of blocking escape routes for criminal leaders and illegal trafficking networks.
The joint strategy also includes the Police Integrity 360 programme, a counter-intelligence mechanism designed to apply trust tests and internal supervision within the police institution, protecting operations from possible leaks to organised crime groups.
Despite recent political changes in the United States Congress, Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Relations supported the continued validity of the agreements. "The fight against criminal structures is a mutually responsible state policy," diplomatic sources stated, assuring that the shared security roadmap will continue to be implemented.
Source: Google News EC — Crime