US Southern Command sinks Ecuadorian ship linked to Los Choneros drug syndicate

Quito: US Southern Command sank an Ecuadorian vessel on Monday that American authorities alleged was connected to the criminal syndicate Los Choneros.

The strike marks the latest operation by American forces targeting maritime craft in Latin America suspected of involvement in narcotics smuggling.

A joint task force intercepted a floating refuelling station servicing illegal drug trafficking networks at sea in the Eastern Pacific, Southern Command confirmed in an official statement.

The military command added that individuals aboard the vessel were removed and will be handed over to Ecuadorian authorities.

Video footage released alongside the announcement showed armed military forces boarding a ship, followed by a helicopter overhead before a strike destroyed and sank the vessel.

Southern Command stated that US troops persist in executing “precise and professional operations to dismantle the logistical networks that fuel drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.”

Ecuadorian officials did not offer immediate comment on the operation.

The destroyed vessel, whose identity remains undisclosed, represents the fifth ship targeted by US military forces in under two weeks.

The fishing boat María Candelaria was struck last week in the Pacific Ocean, according to details provided by US Southern Command, in coordination with Ecuadorian authorities.

The Ecuadorian Navy recovered 26 crew members from that vessel, who arrived Sunday in the coastal port of Manta. Eight fishermen from the Conquista II were also located, while relatives on the mainland sought updates regarding their whereabouts.

Two additional vessels, the OM2 and Los Tres Hermanos, were also sunk, according to statements from their respective crews. Southern Command recently described them on social media platform X as “floating refueling stations for multiple vessels engaged in illicit drug trafficking operations.”

Washington maintains that all targeted ships were linked to Los Choneros, which the US classifies as a foreign terrorist organisation.

The incidents follow previous interdictions involving three other vessels whose Ecuadorian crew members reported being intercepted by US military units earlier this year. Eight fishermen from the vessel Fiorella remain unaccounted for following a January operation. Crew members from the other boats were sent to El Salvador before being repatriated to Ecuador.

At least 227 individuals have been killed across 68 strikes carried out by US forces against maritime targets in the Caribbean and Pacific over the past year. Legal experts and critics have questioned both the international legality and practical effectiveness of the maritime strikes.

In at least one instance, Ecuadorian authorities stated they possessed no evidence indicating a survivor from one of the strikes had engaged in illicit activities.

The Trump administration is currently negotiating agreements with regional partner nations to expand its military counter-narcotics campaign onto land across Latin America. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth noted during a visit to Panama this month that Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras had agreed to permit joint US military operations against criminal networks on their territory, though Guatemala subsequently denied entering into such an arrangement. Ecuador initiated similar joint missions alongside the US in March.

AP