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U.S. Forces Sink Another Pacific Refueling Vessel Linked to Los Choneros

U.S. officials say the strike signals a stepped-up campaign to disrupt at-sea drug logistics following Los Choneros's terrorist designation.

Women seek information about the expected arrival of their relatives who were aboard the Maria Candelaria, a vessel intercepted two days prior by U.S. authorities on suspicion of alleged drug trafficking, at the port in Manta, Ecuador, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Ochoa)
Crew members from the boat Maria Candelaria arrive at a police facility in Manta, Ecuador, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, after being returned to the country following the interception of the vessel by U.S. authorities on suspicion of alleged drug trafficking. (AP Photo/Ariel Ochoa)
Women wait for information about the expected arrival of their relatives who were aboard the Maria Candelaria, a vessel intercepted two days prior by U.S. authorities on suspicion of alleged drug trafficking, outside a police station in Manta, Ecuador, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Ochoa)
Relatives of crew members of the boat Maria Candelaria peer through a fence outside a police facility in Manta, Ecuador, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, as they wait for the crew to return after the boat was intercepted by U.S. authorities on suspicion of alleged drug trafficking. (AP Photo/Ariel Ochoa)

Overview

  • The Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere interdicted and sank a floating refueling station on Monday after removing the people aboard and transferring them to Ecuadorian authorities, SOUTHCOM said.
  • A video released by SOUTHCOM shows U.S. personnel boarding the vessel, a helicopter overhead, and a projectile striking the ship before it sank.
  • SOUTHCOM says this was the fifth floating refueling vessel targeted since Aug. 28 and the fourth sunk in September as part of intensified operations against Los Choneros.
  • Human rights groups and U.N. experts have raised legal and civilian‑harm concerns while reporting links the campaign to roughly 68 strikes and about 227 deaths, and the Pentagon inspector general is reviewing targeting procedures.
  • The action follows recent U.S.-Ecuador cooperation that included the July extradition of Los Choneros leader Fito Macias and the August activation of JTF‑WHEM, a step that could deepen regional security ties and also increase diplomatic friction over authority and oversight.