US Sinks Ecuadorian Vessel in Pacific, Citing Drug-Trafficking Links
US forces sank a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, the fifth such action in two weeks.
The U.S. Southern Command announced Monday that it sank an Ecuadorian vessel in the Eastern Pacific, alleging the ship was linked to the criminal group Los Choneros. The operation, part of an ongoing campaign against maritime drug trafficking, targeted what the military described as a floating refueling station supporting illicit narcotics operations.
Video released by Southern Command showed personnel boarding the vessel, a helicopter overhead, and a projectile striking and sinking the ship. The crew was removed and is to be handed over to Ecuadorian authorities, the statement said. The vessel's name was not disclosed.
This marks the fifth vessel sunk by U.S. forces in less than two weeks. Earlier actions included the fishing vessel María Candelaria, struck last week, and two other ships, the OM2 and Los Tres Hermanos, which Southern Command identified as floating refueling stations for drug-trafficking operations. Ecuadorian authorities located 26 crew members from the María Candelaria, who arrived in Manta on Sunday, while families of eight fishermen from another vessel, Conquista II, have demanded information.
The U.S. has linked all the targeted boats to Los Choneros, a group it designates as a foreign terrorist organization. These incidents add to at least three other Ecuadorian vessels intercepted by U.S. forces this year, including the Fiorella, from which eight fishermen remain missing since January.
At least 227 people have been killed in 68 U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific over the past year. Critics have questioned the legality and effectiveness of the strikes, and in at least one case Ecuadorian authorities said they found no evidence a survivor had engaged in criminal activity.
The Trump administration is seeking agreements with Latin American nations to expand operations on land. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this month that Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras had agreed to joint military operations, though Guatemala denied such a deal. Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.