U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced that its Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) forces sank a vessel identified as a "floating refueling station" involved in drug trafficking operations in the Eastern Pacific.
SOUTHCOM stated on X, formerly Twitter, that intelligence confirmed the vessel's connection to the Los Choneros violent narco-terrorist organization. Individuals apprehended on the vessel were transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. Following the removal of the crew and the clearing of the vessel, U.S. forces scuttled it.
This operation is part of ongoing efforts by JTF-WHEM to dismantle logistical networks supporting drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere. The sinking on September 8 marks another instance where U.S. forces have targeted such vessels linked to Los Choneros, a group designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
According to a counterterrorism guide, the Ecuador-based gang Los Choneros is a significant contributor to destabilizing violence within Ecuador. The organization engages in a range of criminal activities, including contract killings, kidnappings, political assassinations, and the smuggling of weapons, explosives, and drugs. The guide further indicates that Los Choneros utilizes prisons and illegal gold mines as operational bases and collaborates with the Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel and Albanian cartels for global drug shipments.