Ecuador said Thursday it has sent four Navy vessels to its maritime border with Colombia to strengthen operations against illegal activity.
The three warships and one rocket launcher boat left the docks of port city Esmeraldas on Tuesday, the country’s Navy said in a press release.
In the coming days, the Ecuadorean Navy plans to send two go-fast boats to the border region in the Pacific.
The increase in vessels at the Colombian border is to increase security for local fishermen and fight piracy, said the Navy.
The land and maritime border between Ecuador and Colombia is crossed frequently by drug traffickers to get Colombian cocaine out the country. The two countries have been increasingly working together to fight illegal activity.