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🇫🇷 France /Conflict & Security

United States sinks third suspected drug-trafficking boat off Ecuador

From Le Figaro · () French

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

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • The U.S. military destroyed and sank a boat it said served as a refueling station for Ecuador’s Los Choneros gang.
  • It was the third suspected Los Choneros vessel sunk off Ecuador in one week, amid a wider U.S. campaign against alleged drug-trafficking boats.
  • Fishermen and relatives of missing people in Manta challenged the operations, while authorities said no deaths had been reported in this week’s attacks.

Fear has spread through Ecuador’s fishing port of Manta after the U.S. military sank a third boat off the country’s coast in one week over alleged links to drug trafficking.

We are all afraid that something might happen to us.

· Fausto SozaA Manta fisherman described the fear caused by the U.S. operations.

The U.S. Southern Command said Thursday that the vessel served as a “refueling station” for Los Choneros, an Ecuadorian gang that the U.S. military links to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel. A military ship, assisted by a helicopter, intercepted and boarded the boat before blowing it up and sinking it, according to video released by the U.S. military. Southern Command said the crew had been “safely transferred” to Ecuadorian authorities before the vessel was destroyed.

The operation followed the sinking of two other boats allegedly linked to Los Choneros. The attacks form part of a campaign launched by the Trump administration a year ago against boats suspected of belonging to drug traffickers in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean. The campaign has caused more than 200 deaths, according to the report.

Refueling station

· U.S. Southern CommandThe command’s description of the vessel allegedly serving Los Choneros.

In Manta, where the intercepted boats had departed, fishermen and their families said they had no connection to drug trafficking and questioned the U.S. operations. “We are all afraid that something might happen to us,” fisherman Fausto Soza said. He told reporters he had not dared to go out to sea for two months.

Safely transferred

· U.S. Southern CommandThe command said the crew was handed over to Ecuadorian authorities before the boat was destroyed.

Maria Cueva, whose 25-year-old son is among those missing, described her anguish: “I don’t even know what to do anymore. I don’t eat, I don’t sleep thinking about my son. I want him returned to me.” Human Rights Watch said in July that U.S. forces had attacked three boats off Ecuador, leaving at least eight people missing, a claim Washington denies. Authorities reported no deaths in this week’s attacks.

I don’t even know what to do anymore. I don’t eat, I don’t sleep thinking about my son. I want him returned to me.

· Maria CuevaCueva spoke about her son, who is among the people reported missing.
About this summary

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. 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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