US Forces Sink Pacific Narco-Refueling Station Tied to Ecuadorian Cartel, SOUTHCOM Says

U.S. forces sank a floating refueling vessel Monday that officials said was being used by an Ecuadorian organized crime network to support drug trafficking operations.

The vessel was intercepted in the Eastern Pacific Ocean by Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, or JTFWH, after it was identified as a platform used for “at-sea drug trafficking operations,” according to U.S. Southern Command.

“JTF-WHEM continues to conduct precise and professional operations to dismantle the logistical networks fueling narco-trafficking in the Western Hemisphere,” SOUTHCOM said in a post on X.

SOUTHCOM said the refueling vessel was tied to Los Choneros, an Ecuadorian narco-terrorist organization. Those on board were taken off the vessel and are expected to be transferred to Ecuadorian authorities.

Once the boat was cleared, U.S. forces sank it.

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JTFWH was activated by SOUTHCOM in August to counter threats, strengthen regional security, and respond to crises in the Western Hemisphere.

The Trump administration has prioritized targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels bound for the United States.

U.S. forces have launched dozens of strikes targeting such boats under the administration’s anti-drug campaign.

Last week, the cartel was designated by the State Department as a foreign terrorist organization. Its members have attacked and threatened public officials and their families, security personnel, judges, prosecutors, and journalists in Ecuador, the agency said.

“Their ultimate goal is to control drug trafficking routes through Ecuador by terrorizing and inflicting brutal violence on the Ecuadorian people,” said State Department deputy spokesperson Thomas Pigott.

In July, U.S. and Ecuadorian authorities cooperated to extradite Los Choneros leader Fito Macias, who was the first Ecuadorian citizen extradited from Ecuador to face justice in the U.S.