Hegseth Welcomes Ecuadorian President to War Department

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth welcomed Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa to the Pentagon today to discuss the bonds of defense-based cooperation between their respective countries.

At the outset of the meeting's public portion, Hegseth thanked Noboa for being a founding member of the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition, more commonly called Shield of the Americas.

Launched March 7 by President Donald J. Trump, Shield of the Americas is a U.S.-led multinational security and political coalition formed to combat transnational drug cartels, reduce illegal migration across the Western Hemisphere and limit foreign geopolitical interference.

Stating that the March 7 conference was "just the beginning," Hegseth told Noboa that the War Department is committed to operationalizing capabilities and countering threats that both the U.S. and Ecuador face by eradicating narco-terrorist drug trafficking and destroying their networks in Ecuador and throughout Central and South America.

"You have been a model partner with us to counter these networks that threaten your homeland, that threaten our homeland and [that threaten] the security of our shared hemisphere," Hegseth told Noboa.

The secretary thanked Noboa for his steadfast commitment on behalf of Trump and assured him that the president is well aware of how much Ecuador has stepped up in this realm.

"Nothing means more to President Trump than countries who are willing to carry their own weight," he added.

Noboa said his country is not only worried about carrying its own weight, but also about influencing the region and helping others, adding that, while all the nations throughout the Americas are never aligned at once, those nations continuously trying to work together is essential.

"Because, on the other side, evil [transnational actors] always work together, and they always find a way of working together in our nation," Noboa added.

The Ecuadorian president also spoke about how extremists in the Western Hemisphere are pushing back and adapting to various nations' security operations throughout the region and said it's important for those nations to move quickly and stay ahead of extremists.

Additionally, he said that it's important to be mindful of how such security operations will be funded, adding that, "Since Day 1, I haven't been a fan of aid, but I'm a big fan of trade, investment and the things that we can do together to have profitable operations … that will support and will finance security operations in the region."

Noboa said if his country has that, in addition to the support and investment of the United States and joint operations, he is sure it can solve the security issue and also protect the hemisphere.

"Excellent. We're eager to advance that conversation today," Hegseth replied.