American military forces, operating in coordination with Ecuadorian authorities, interdicted and sank a vessel serving as a floating refueling station for illegal drug trafficking operations in international waters of the Eastern Pacific.
According to a statement released by US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on social media platform X, intelligence confirmed the ship was operating in support of Los Choneros, a violent Ecuador-based narco-terrorist organization.
The interdiction was executed by US Marines and sailors deployed from the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17), who boarded, searched, and secured the vessel without incident. Individuals removed from the ship were transferred to Ecuadorian law enforcement authorities for processing. Following the search and removal of personnel, US forces sank the vessel in international waters to prevent its future operational use.
SOUTHCOM Commander General Francis Donovan described the joint operation as a decisive strike aimed at dismantling and destroying the sophisticated maritime logistics networks utilized by transnational cartel networks. Military officials emphasized that eliminating the refueling node disrupts a critical capability in the traffickers' supply chain, demonstrating Washington's strategy of applying systematic pressure against designated criminal organizations.
The operation targets Los Choneros, one of Ecuador's primary criminal syndicates, which was designated by the US Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity in September.
