The FBI will support the Ecuadorian Police in the investigation of terrorist actions

The Police will strengthen operational and tactical capabilities to fight organized crime and drug trafficking in Ecuador. 

Police will receive training and retraining to face terrorism and criminal groups.

This occurs after the Public and State Security Council (Cosepe) declared terrorism a threat to the security of the Ecuadorian State.

The Minister of the Interior, Juan Zapata, assured that there will be “a reorganization, readaptation, retraining and a strengthening of the capacities of the Police to face the threat of terrorism.” 

The official spoke during an event in the Intervention and Rescue Group (GIR), this Monday, May 1, 2023.

“We will have a firm response against crime by making use of the legal powers that we have, the use of the endowment weapon and the coercive force of the State.

They can’t beat us, the country has to recover security and tranquility. The terrorists are the ones who should feel fear and not the citizens,” Zapata said.  

The General Commander of the Police, Fausto Salinas, also assured that they will increase the operational capacities of the tactical, investigative and police intelligence units.  

How will they be strengthened? 

Salinas indicated that 2,700 police officers from the Order Maintenance Unit will receive training in close combat and operational techniques.  

“Tactical units will begin retraining. The investigative and intelligence units will also work under a new investigative approach aimed at defining the crime of terrorism,” Salinas said.

For these training and training processes, new ammunition was acquired. These supplies will reach the Police in 20 days and the training will begin there.  

He also said that the Police will have the support of the FBI, of the United States, for the investigation of terrorist actions and, in addition, there will be international instructors, who will teach closed combat classes.  

The operational demonstrations of the Police

This May 1, 2023, GIR agents carried out a demonstration of the tactical, technological and operational capabilities that the National Police currently has. 

At the firing range of the Intervention and Rescue Group facilities, the policemen represented real cases that they have had to face.  

First they did a simulation of how they break into a house and free a kidnapping victim. Then, the uniformed men carried out a target practice. 

They also did a practical demonstration of how to defuse and destroy an explosive device, which was found in the middle of two vehicles. For example, to move suspicious packages to a safe place where they can be destroyed, the police used a robot.