Ecuador defends US sinking of three vessels in joint anti-drug operation

September 5, 2026 at 06:46 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Ecuador's government on Friday defended a US operation that sank three Ecuadorian vessels in the Eastern Pacific, saying the interceptions were part of joint anti-drug investigations with Washington. Interior Minister John Reimberg said the vessels served as refueling points for speedboats moving drugs toward Mexico and the United States. Relatives of detained crew members accused US forces of acting without evidence, saying the men were fishermen.

Key Facts

Ecuador's Interior Minister John Reimberg said the three sunken vessels were refueling points for speedboats moving drugs toward Mexico and the United States.
The US Southern Command said it interdicted a vessel operating as a floating refueling station linked to the Los Choneros gang and sank it after removing individuals.
The Ecuadorian navy received 28 crew members from the vessel sunk on Wednesday and another boat, and they arrived in Manta on a coastguard vessel.
Relatives of detained crew members said the men were fishermen and that no drugs were found when US forces boarded.

Joint Operation Defense

Ecuador's government said the interception and sinking of the Ecuadorian vessels were part of joint investigations with Washington targeting drug-smuggling activities linked to criminal gangs. Interior Minister John Reimberg told broadcaster Teleamazonas the vessels were refueling points for speedboats that move drugs north towards Mexico and the United States. Reimberg described the action as work carried out through international cooperation.

US Military Account

The US Southern Command said it successfully interdicted a vessel operating as a floating refueling station in support of illicit at-sea drug trafficking operations, linked to the Los Choneros gang. SOUTHCOM posted on X that individuals removed from the vessel would be safely transferred to Ecuadorian authorities, and that US forces sank the vessel once cleared. A video accompanying the SOUTHCOM post showed US forces approaching and boarding a vessel before it was blown up at sea; the time and location have not been independently verified.

Crew and Family Accounts

Relatives of some crew members accused the US military of acting without evidence and said the men on the boats were fishermen. The wife of one crew member told Reuters that the men had been fishing when US forces boarded and that no drugs were found; her account has not been independently verified. The Ecuadorian navy said it received 28 crew members from that vessel and another boat sunk on Wednesday, and they arrived in Manta on board a local coastguard vessel. On Friday, a group of people waited outside the Community Surveillance Unit in Manta for news of relatives they said were traveling on the boats targeted in the past two days, AFP reported.