When the Ecuadorian government inaugurated the port of Posorja in 2019, optimism filled the air. Politicians hailed the $1.2 billion deep-water facility, operated by DP World, as a leap into modernity. For decades, Ecuador’s maritime infrastructure had lagged behind regional competitors. Posorja’s port – fitted with scanners, biometric controls, and state-of-the-art container handling systems – was meant to change that.

The town of Posorja, with its sun-beaten streets and modest cinder block homes, was suddenly thrust into the global spotlight. Fishing boats that once brought in tuna and shrimp now docked alongside towering container vessels. Local families imagined stable jobs, improved infrastructure, and a future no longer dependent on precarious fishing yields.

But prosperity came with an uninvited partner: cocaine. Within months of the port’s opening, traffickers had found ways to exploit it. Six years later, Posorja stands as one of the most important gateways for South America’s booming cocaine trade, linking remote drug-producing regions with European demand. The result has been devastating for residents, who find themselves trapped between global criminal networks and a state struggling to maintain control.

The roots of the Posorja port project date back to 2016, when Ecuador granted DP World a 50-year concession. The Dubai-based logistics giant partnered with Nobis Holding, a powerful Ecuadorian business conglomerate led by Isabel Noboa – aunt of the country’s current president, Daniel Noboa. The port was touted as one of Ecuador’s largest-ever foreign investments, a symbol of the country’s ambition to attract capital and diversify its economy.

From a commercial standpoint, the project worked. In less than five years, Posorja overtook Guayaquil in trade volume. Shipping powerhouse Maersk relocated its Ecuador hub there, citing modern facilities and efficiency. International traders funneled bananas, flowers, and other goods through its docks.

But as legal cargo multiplied, so too did illicit cargo. The very traits that attracted legitimate business – efficient infrastructure,........

© Blitz