Judge frees 28 Ecuadorian fishermen detained after U.S. operation

A judge in Manta ordered the immediate release of 28 Ecuadorian fishermen after ruling that the circumstances of their capture did not meet constitutional and legal requirements.

The decision came during a hearing on the legality of the arrests and the filing of charges. The fishermen had arrived at the port of Manta under custody aboard an Ecuadorian Navy coast guard vessel after U.S. military personnel intercepted their boats in international waters.

The 28 crew members worked aboard OM2 and Conquista 2. The first interception took place 83 nautical miles from Manta, while the second occurred 244 nautical miles offshore. Ecuadorian prosecutors had sought to begin proceedings over alleged involvement in organized crime.

The case forms part of a wider series of operations involving Ecuadorian artisanal fishing boats. U.S. forces also intercepted Los Tres Hermanos and Marcia Candelaria, bringing to four the number of fishing vessels from Ecuador involved in such incidents in recent weeks.

Reports attributed to the U.S. Southern Command have linked several boats from Manta to networks involved in transnational drug trafficking. The reports allege that fishing vessels supplied fuel to speedboats used to transport drugs and had operational connections with Los Choneros. The judge's ruling, however, addressed the legality of the fishermen's apprehension and ordered all 28 released. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has also taken up complaints alleging abuses and unlawful interceptions at sea. The crews came from fishing communities in Manta and Jaramijó, including San Mateo and Santa Marianita.