U.S. forces sank a floating refueling vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean that was used by an Ecuadorian organized crime ring involved in drug trafficking operations, the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced Monday.
The vessel was connected to the Los Choneros syndicate, identified by SOUTHCOM as an Ecuadorian organized crime group. The individuals aboard the refueling station were removed and will be transferred to Ecuadorian authorities.
Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTFWH), operating under SOUTHCOM, interdicted the vessel during at-sea drug trafficking surveillance. After the vessel was cleared of personnel, U.S. forces proceeded to sink it.
JTFWH was established by SOUTHCOM in August with the objective of countering threats, enhancing regional security, and responding to crises within the Western Hemisphere.
The U.S. State Department recently designated Los Choneros as a foreign terrorist organization. The group has been implicated in attacks and threats against public officials, security personnel, judges, prosecutors, and journalists in Ecuador. The State Department stated that the organization's aim is to control drug trafficking routes through Ecuador by employing terror and extreme violence against the Ecuadorian populace.
In July, U.S. and Ecuadorian authorities collaborated to extradite Fito Macias, a leader of Los Choneros, from Ecuador to face charges in the United States. The Trump administration has placed a significant emphasis on targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels bound for the U.S., with U.S. forces conducting numerous strikes against such vessels as part of the ongoing anti-drug campaign.