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🇲🇽 Mexico /Culture & Society

28 Crew Members Return to Ecuador After U.S. Forces Sink Two Boats, Relatives Protest

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Twenty-eight crew members from two boats intercepted and sunk by U.S. forces arrived in Ecuador’s port city of Manta.
  • U.S. and Ecuadorian authorities allege the boats supported drug-trafficking operations linked to the criminal group Los Choneros.
  • Relatives disputed the allegations, saying the men were fishermen, and protested outside Manta’s port captaincy.

Twenty-eight men from two Ecuadorian boats intercepted and sunk by U.S. forces in the Pacific arrived in Manta, as relatives gathered to reject allegations that they supported drug trafficking.

The Ecuadorian Navy said nine crew members from the Conquista II and 19 from the OM2 arrived aboard a coast guard vessel at about 3 p.m. local time, or 2000 GMT. The navy said authorities carried out the relevant procedures after their arrival. Local media reported that the men were taken to a police unit.

Eight other people from the Conquista II were still traveling toward the port aboard another vessel, the navy added. The men had been detained between Wednesday and Thursday by the U.S. Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere after military forces intercepted the boats.

This is the result of an investigation. These boats were used as logistics platforms for other smaller boats that would moor alongside them, loaded with drugs, and then head toward Mexican ports and on to the United States. This is work carried out through international cooperation.

· John ReimbergEcuador’s interior minister described the authorities’ allegation about the boats’ role in drug trafficking.

According to the U.S. Southern Command, the vessels allegedly served as floating refueling stations and supported drug-trafficking operations for Los Choneros, described in the report as Ecuador’s oldest criminal group. Interior Minister John Reimberg said the boats provided logistical support to smaller vessels loaded with drugs before they traveled toward Mexican ports and then the United States.

Families rejected that account and said the men were fishermen who had gone to sea to work. Relatives protested outside the Manta port captaincy with signs reading, “No to abuses against our fishermen” and “They are innocent, they are not criminals.” Some relatives of eight Ecuadorian fishermen missing at sea since January also joined the demonstration.

What does President Daniel Noboa want? For the entire fishing community to turn to stealing because there is no work? Fishing is the only support for these families.

· Unidentified relativeA relative disputed the authorities’ allegations during the protest in Manta.
About this summary

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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