Ecuador’s government has justified a recent US military operation that resulted in the sinking of three vessels in the Eastern Pacific, characterizing the action as part of a coordinated anti-narcotics effort. According to Ecuador’s Interior Minister John Reimberg, the boats targeted were serving as refueling stations for speedboats transporting drugs toward Mexico and the United States. The US Southern Command confirmed this account, stating that American forces successfully interdicted a vessel supporting illicit maritime drug trafficking connected to the Los Choneros criminal organization.
However, family members of detained crew members have challenged the government’s narrative. They contend that US forces proceeded without concrete evidence and argue that the men aboard the vessels were ordinary fishermen engaged in legitimate work. One crew member’s wife told media outlets that no narcotics were discovered on the boat when it was boarded. The Ecuadorian navy reported receiving 28 crew members from two sunk vessels, who arrived in Manta, the country’s primary fishing port, aboard a coast guard ship.
The incident represents the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s maritime drug-interdiction campaign, which has generated significant concern throughout Latin America. Previous US operations in the region have resulted in multiple deaths, including two fatalities on August 23 and four more two days later, though no victims were formally identified in either case. The contrasting accounts underscore ongoing tensions between security operations and questions regarding oversight and civilian safety in international waters.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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