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U.S. Forces Sink Another Pacific Vessel Tied to Ecuadorian Cartel

U.S. officials say the strike rests on a State Department terror designation that broadens military authority for maritime interdictions.

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

  • U.S. Southern Command said Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere interdicted, cleared and sank a floating refueling vessel on Monday and that people aboard were removed and handed to Ecuadorian authorities.
  • Officials said intelligence tied the boat to Los Choneros, the Ecuadorian group the State Department labeled a Foreign Terrorist Organization last year, and used that label to justify the operation.
  • The command released video showing U.S. personnel boarding the ship and a projectile striking it, and it described this action as the fifth refueling-station sinking in a concentrated recent period in the Eastern Pacific.
  • Independent reporting and rights groups say dozens of earlier strikes have caused fatalities, left some fishermen missing, and raised questions about legal authority, evidence preservation and partner consent.
  • The campaign has run for more than a year and has disrupted at-sea drug logistics according to U.S. officials but critics warn the tactics may undermine policing, strain regional ties and prompt further oversight or independent probes.