Ecuador defends US sinking of vessels as joint anti-drug operation | Drugs News
Ecuador Supports U.S. Operation Against Drug Traffickers, Sparks Controversy Over Detained Fishermen
Ecuador is standing by a recent U.S. operation that resulted in the sinking of three vessels suspected of engaging in drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific. The Ecuadorian government announced on Friday that the actions taken during the operation were part of a coordinated effort with U.S. authorities aimed at dismantling drug smuggling networks linked to organized crime.
Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg stated in an interview with Teleamazonas that the vessels served as refueling points for speedboats transporting narcotics to North America. “This is work carried out through international cooperation,” he said.
The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) corroborated Reimberg’s assertions, emphasizing that it successfully interceded a vessel functioning as a floating refueling station for illegal at-sea drug trafficking operations associated with the Los Choneros gang. In a post on social media platform X, SOUTHCOM noted that the individuals removed from the vessel would be handed over to Ecuadorian authorities before the vessel was subsequently sunk.
A video shared by SOUTHCOM depicted U.S. forces boarding the vessel prior to its destruction at sea; however, the timing and location of the video have not been independently verified.
Family members of the crew aboard the detained vessels are raising concerns, claiming that U.S. forces acted without evidence and asserting that the men were merely fishermen. One crew member’s wife spoke to Reuters, stating that the men were fishing at the time of the boarding and that no drugs were discovered. This account has not been independently confirmed.
The Ecuadorian navy reported that 28 crew members from the targeted vessel and another sunk boat had been rescued and safely returned to Manta, Ecuador’s primary fishing port, aboard a local coast guard vessel.
On Friday, several family members gathered in Manta, anxiously awaiting news about their relatives, who they assert were on the boats targeted by U.S. forces in the past days.
These incidents highlight ongoing tensions surrounding the U.S.’s anti-drug trafficking initiatives under the Trump administration, which have raised alarms in Latin America regarding the use of airstrikes and lethal force in international waters.
SOUTHCOM also confirmed a prior attack on a “low-profile” vessel that resulted in the deaths of two individuals on August 23, and another U.S. strike killed four additional people just days later. The identities of the victims from either incident have not been publicly disclosed.
In an unmade public memo acquired by U.S. media, President Trump characterized the situation as a “non-international armed conflict” with drug-trafficking organizations, further complicating the narrative surrounding these military actions.
