U.S. Military Sinks Boats Said to Aid Drug Smuggling Near Ecuador
Ecuador says the joint operation targeted drug-smuggling logistics, while relatives of crew members said the men were fishermen and no drugs were found.
- On Friday, Ecuador defended U.S. operations that intercepted and sank three vessels this week, though relatives of some crew members disputed the account and accused Washington of acting without evidence.
- The U.S. Southern Command reported the vessels acted as "refueling stations" for the Los Choneros gang, while Interior Minister John Reimberg told Teleamazonas, "This is work carried out through international cooperation."
- 28 crew members from the Conquista II and OM2 arrived in Manta aboard an Ecuadorean Navy coast guard vessel, while another eight crew members from the Conquista II are still returning to port.
- Disputing the official account, relatives of the crew spoke out, including 47-year-old Rosalba, who said, "I don't understand why the U.S. government has to act in such an arbitrary way."
- This episode reflects a widening U.S. maritime drug campaign in the Pacific that has drawn criticism from rights groups and concern across Latin America regarding the use of lethal force at sea.
23 Articles
23 Articles
On Saturday, U.S. military forces sank a fourth vessel due to its alleged links with drug trafficking during a joint operation with Ecuador, which was broadcast on social networks by the crew members of the ship.
The U.S. military has intercepted and sunk a third vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean in the past week, confirmed to be operating on behalf of the brutal Ecuadorian drug trafficking organization Los Choneros. According to official information from the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the vessels served as mobile and floating refueling stations that support the traffickers’ speedboats on their way to Mexico and the United States. The operation …
The vessel is called María Candelaria, reported the Ministry of Defense of Ecuador.
People and human rights organizations are increasingly concerned.
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