The U.S. Southern Command has sunk another Ecuadorian vessel in the Pacific Ocean, alleging it was linked to the criminal group Los Choneros. The operation is part of ongoing U.S. efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks in Latin America.
A joint task force intercepted the floating refueling station in the Eastern Pacific, according to a statement from the Southern Command. The individuals on board were removed and are being transferred to Ecuadorian authorities.
A video released by the Southern Command showed military personnel boarding a vessel, followed by a helicopter and a projectile strike that sank the boat. U.S. forces stated they are conducting "precise and professional operations to dismantle the logistical networks that fuel drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere."
The sunken vessel, whose name has not been released, is the fifth targeted by U.S. forces in less than two weeks. Previously, the fishing vessel María Candelaria was sunk, along with two other vessels identified as OM2 and Los Tres Hermanos. Southern Command described these vessels as "floating refueling stations for multiple vessels engaged in illicit drug trafficking operations."
According to the U.S., all targeted boats were linked to Los Choneros, which the U.S. designates as a foreign terrorist organization. These actions follow previous interceptions of Ecuadorian vessels by U.S. forces this year, including the Fiorella, which resulted in eight missing fishermen. In other cases, crews returned to Ecuador after being sent to El Salvador.
These incidents add to a broader pattern of over a year of U.S. government strikes against boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, totaling at least 227 people killed in 68 strikes. Critics have raised questions about the legality and effectiveness of these operations. In at least one instance, Ecuadorian authorities stated they found no evidence of criminal activity by a survivor of a strike.
The Trump administration has been pursuing agreements with allied nations to expand operations against criminal groups onto land in Latin America. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras had agreed to joint military operations on their soil, though Guatemala denied such a deal. Ecuador began similar joint missions with the U.S. in March.