Colombian President Gustavo Petro alleged on March 16 that Ecuadorian authorities had bombed drug trafficking groups on the Colombian side of the countries' border, DW reported on March 17. However, also on March 17, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa posted on X saying that Petro's statements were false and that Ecuadorian authorities were targeting criminal groups within Ecuador only.

Tensions between Ecuador and Colombia have been elevated in recent months, with Noboa repeatedly criticizing drug trafficking from Colombia in Ecuador as a driver of his country's extreme gang violence challenges. Ecuador announced tariffs on Colombia in February over the issue. The incident also comes as the U.S. military has expanded cooperation with the Ecuadorian military in efforts to combat extreme gang violence in the country, providing logistical and planning support for bombing operations in recent weeks.