FOL MISSION

"The mission of the FOL is to help Ecuador protect the sovereignty of its territory against the transnational crime of drug trafficking.  We are supporting efforts in the Eastern Pacific to intercept the flow of drugs that threatens the health, safety and economic stability of our hemisphere.  Our cooperation with Ecuador is producing positive results."   --U.S. Ambassador Linda Jewell

In 1999 the U.S. and Ecuador signed a bilateral agreement that permits the U.S. to use a portion of the Ecuadorian Eloy Alfaro Air Force Base in Manta as a Forward Operating Location (FOL) to conduct counter-narcotics flights. The agreement expires in November 2009.

The FOL is an important part of the cooperation between the U.S. Government and the Government of Ecuador to combat the transnational threat of drug trafficking and protect Ecuador, its citizens and institutions, from the negative impact of international drug traffickers.

The FOL is not a U.S. base.  It is located within the Ecuadorian Eloy Alfaro Air Force Base and occupies less than 5% of the physical territory of the Eloy Alfaro Base. 

The FOL consists of parking spaces for up to 8 unarmed aircraft (4 large and 4 medium-to-small) which fly counter-narcotics aerial surveillance missions, focused on the Eastern Pacific maritime zone. A handful of small buildings support the crews and staff who service these flights (dormitories, a cafeteria and office space)

The mission of the FOL is limited to counternarcotics. The majority of the flights are from U.S. non-military government agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Patrol, which form part of the Department of Homeland Security. Other flights are from the Air Force and Navy, which are part of the U.S. military. The aircraft are not armed; they provide information for U.S. Coast Guard and partner country sea-based interdiction operations but do not themselves engage in those operations.

The information gathered by flights out of the FOL is analyzed by the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South), an interagency and international task force in Key West, Florida, consisting of different departments of the U.S. Government and liaison officers from 12 countries, including Ecuador. On the basis of the information received from the FOL and other sources, JIATF-South is able to provide guidance to U.S. and Latin American authorities so they can carry out interdiction operations.

In 2007, information gathered by flights out of the FOL contributed to over 60% of the captures of illegal drugs on the high seas of the Eastern Pacific. These captures totaled over 208 tons and represented a street value of over U.S. $4.2 billion from over 1,100 counternarcotics flights. 

There are approximately 15 full-time U.S. personnel who work at the FOL to support the anti-drug flights.  Depending on the number of flights at any given time, on average 150 pilots, crew members and other U.S. support personnel might be situated at the FOL for brief periods of a few days or weeks.  The agreement between the two governments allows for up to 500 U.S. military representatives.  All U.S. military and U.S. civilian personnel present at the FOL support its operations only. In addition to U.S. personnel, 150 Ecuadorian employees working at the FOL offer support services such as maintenance, food service, medical and firefighting services.  The FOL’s full-time Ecuadorian employees include persons with physical challenges whom the FOL is helping to integrate into the workforce through an innovative program.

The U.S. Government invested over U.S. $71 million in initial construction and infrastructure as improvements to the Eloy Alfaro Airport in Manta in order to support the counter-narcotics flights.  In addition to improvements to the runway (now considered a first-class, category 10 runway which can support a wide range of flights), the U.S. Government has invested in modern lighting and improvements to the grounds of the airport.

The FOL injects over U.S. $6.5 million annually into the local economy of Manta. This investment includes important operating costs for the airport, such as over $2 million to operate the Manta FOL Fire Department and approximately $200,000 in airport maintenance costs.

The FOL’s modern, state-of-the-art fire and emergency response teams contribute to the safety of the Eloy Alfaro Airport and the Manta community.

The FOL provides financial support to multiple local charities as part of its goal to be good citizens and guests in Manta.  U.S. personnel help tutor English in a local community center and support charities including orphanages and a school for children with disabilities.