Ecuador backs US sinking of three vessels in joint Pacific drug operation
Ecuador's government has defended the US military's sinking of three Ecuadorian vessels, describing it as a joint operation against drug-smuggling gangs.
Ecuador and US defend joint sinking of drug-linked vessels in Eastern Pacific
Ecuador's government has defended a US military operation this week in which three vessels were sunk in the Eastern Pacific, Google News IE — Crime (en) reports, citing Al Jazeera. Quito described the actions as part of coordinated investigations with Washington targeting drug-smuggling networks linked to criminal gangs.
Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg told broadcaster Teleamazonas that the vessels served as refuelling points for speedboats transporting narcotics northward toward Mexico and the United States. "This is work carried out through international cooperation," Reimberg said.
The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) confirmed the interdiction, stating it had "successfully interdicted a vessel operating as a floating refuelling station in support of illicit at-sea drug trafficking operations," which it linked to the Los Choneros gang. SOUTHCOM posted on X on Thursday that crew members were removed before US forces sank the vessel, and that individuals would be safely transferred to Ecuadorian authorities.
A video shared alongside SOUTHCOM's post showed US personnel boarding the vessel before it was destroyed at sea. The time and location of the footage have not been independently verified.
Relatives of some crew members disputed the military's account, saying the men aboard were fishermen rather than drug traffickers. The wife of one crew member told Reuters in a phone interview that no drugs were found when US forces boarded. Her account has also not been independently verified.
The Ecuadorian navy said it received 28 crew members from that vessel and a second boat sunk on Wednesday. Both groups arrived at Manta, Ecuador's main fishing port, aboard a local coastguard vessel. On Friday, AFP reported that a group of relatives gathered waiting for news of those aboard the targeted boats.
The incidents follow earlier US strikes in the region. SOUTHCOM confirmed an attack on a "low-profile" vessel on 23 August that killed two people, and a second strike two days later that killed four. No victims were identified in either case.
The operations are part of the Trump administration's broader campaign against maritime drug trafficking. A previously unreleased memo obtained by US media showed President Trump has claimed the US is engaged in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug-trafficking organisations, a position that has drawn concern across Latin America over the use of lethal force in international waters.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)