Ecuador defends US sinking of vessels as joint anti-drug operation

Relatives of detained unit accidental US forces acted without evidence, claiming the men were fishermen, not smugglers.

Ecuador has defended a US cognition this week that sank 3 vessels accused of sustaining drug-trafficking operations successful the Eastern Pacific.

Ecuador’s authorities said connected Friday the interception and sinking of the Ecuadorian vessels were portion of associated investigations ⁠with Washington targeting drug-smuggling activities linked to transgression gangs.

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Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg told broadcaster Teleamazonas the vessels were refueling points for speedboats that determination drugs northbound towards Mexico and the United States.

“This is ⁠work carried retired done planetary cooperation,” Reimberg said.

The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) reiterated Reimberg’s claim, saying it “successfully interdicted a vas operating arsenic a floating refueling presumption successful enactment of illicit at-sea cause trafficking operations”, linked to the Los Choneros gang.

“Individuals removed from the vas volition beryllium safely transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. Once cleared, U.S. forces sank the vessel,” SOUTHCOM posted connected X connected Thursday.

A video accompanying SOUTHCOM’s station showed US forces approaching and boarding a vas earlier it was blown up astatine sea. The clip and determination of the video person not been independently verified.

Relatives of immoderate unit members accused the US subject of acting without grounds and said the men connected the boats were fishermen. The woman of 1 unit subordinate told the Reuters quality bureau successful a telephone interrogation that the men had been sportfishing erstwhile US forces boarded and that nary drugs were found. Her relationship has not been independently verified.

The Ecuadorian navy said that it received 28 unit members from that vas and different vessel that was sunk connected Wednesday and that they arrived successful Manta, the country’s main sportfishing port, connected committee a section coastguard vessel.

Relatives of detained fishermen hold extracurricular the Community Surveillance Unit (UVC) successful Manta, Ecuador, connected September 4, 2026 [AFP]

On Friday, a radical of radical waited for quality of their relatives who, they said, were traveling connected the boats targeted successful the past 2 days, the AFP quality bureau reported.

The incidents are the latest successful the Trump administration’s campaign against maritime cause trafficking that has drawn interest successful Latin America implicit the usage of aerial attacks and lethal unit connected planetary waters.

SOUTHCOM confirmed a erstwhile onslaught connected a “low-profile” vas that killed 2 radical connected August 23. Another US onslaught killed 4 radical 2 days later. No victims were identified successful either attack.

Trump has claimed the US is successful a “non-international equipped conflict” with drug-trafficking organisations successful an unreleased memo obtained by US media.