U.S. sinks an Ecuadorian boat in the Pacific it alleges is tied to drug trafficking
- On Monday, U.S. Southern Command forces sank a floating refueling station in the Eastern Pacific linked to Los Choneros, with Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere personnel removing all individuals aboard before the operation.
- The U.S. State Department designated Los Choneros as a foreign terrorist organization last week, citing the group's history of violence against officials and its drive to control drug-trafficking routes through Ecuador.
- This strike marks the third interdiction since September 2, as JTF-WHEM targets the logistics enabling long-range trafficking; destroying floating depots prevents smaller vessels from remaining at sea to transport cocaine from South America.
- Personnel removed from the vessel are expected to be transferred to Ecuadorian authorities, as SOUTHCOM reports that disrupting maritime support networks forces traffickers back to shore, increasing exposure to interdiction toward Central America.
- SOUTHCOM activated JTF-WHEM in August to address regional security threats following the 2024 prison escape of former leader Fito, reflecting a mandate to dismantle criminal networks destabilizing Ecuador.
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A year after the start of the American military campaign of attacks on ships, the United States seems to be targeting a new type of ship: large fishing boats off the coast of Ecuador that, according to President Donald Trump's government, provide fuel to smaller vessels carrying drugs. On Tuesday night, the country's Armed Forces announced the sixth operation of this type in two weeks, releasing a video showing a helicopter flying over the ocean…
U.S. forces intercepted the fishing boat Don Rufo, captured his crew and sank him, the commando reported in X.
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced on Tuesday that the U.S. sank another vessel characterized as a "floating refueling station" linked to drug
The American forces intercepted the fishing boat "Don Rufo", captured the crew and sank it, according to the command on social network X, where it published the video of the operation.
The sixth in less than two weeks, for allegedly operating as a fuel refueling station for drug trafficking operations of Los Choneros, a criminal group of the Andean country associated with the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel. American forces intercepted the fishing boat Don Rufo, captured its crew members and sank it, according to the ... Continue reading "VIDEO USA destroys new Ecuadorian boat linked to criminal gang Los Choneros in the Pacific"
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