US sinks an Ecuadorian boat in the Pacific it alleges is tied to drug trafficking

QUITO, Ecuador -- The U.S. Southern Command on Monday sank another Ecuadorian vessel that the U.S. alleged was linked to the criminal group Los Choneros.It was the latest action by the U.S. against boats and vessels in Latin America that it said were involved in drug trafficking. The joint task force intercepted a floating refueling station that supported illicit drug trafficking operations at sea in the Eastern Pacific, the Southern Command said in a statement. It added that the people on board the vessel were removed and will be transferred to Ecuadorian authorities.A video accompanying the announcement showed military personnel boarding a boat, followed by a helicopter flying overhead and finally a projectile striking and sinking it.The statement also indicated that U.S. forces continue to conduct “precise and professional operations to dismantle the logistical networks that fuel drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.”Ecuadorian authorities did not immediately comment.The sunken vessel, whose name has not been released, was the fifth targeted by U.S. forces in less than two weeks.The fishing vessel María Candelaria was struck last week in the Pacific, according to information from U.S. Southern Command, in coordination with Ecuadorian authorities.The Ecuadorian navy located 26 crew members from that vessel, who arrived Sunday in the port city of Manta. Eight fishermen from the Conquista II were also located, while their families on the mainland demanded information about their whereabouts.The other two vessels were the OM2 and Los Tres Hermanos, whose crew members say they were sunk. Southern Command recently identified them as “floating refueling stations for multiple vessels engaged in illicit drug trafficking operations,” in posts on the social media platform X.Popular ReadsThe United States has said all of the boats were linked to Los Choneros, which the U.S. considers a foreign terrorist organization.These cases add to those of three other vessels whose Ecuadorian crews say they were intercepted by U.S. forces this year. In the case of the Fiorella, eight fishermen remain missing since January. The crews of the other vessels returned to Ecuador after being sent to El Salvador.At least 227 people have been killed in 68 U.S. government strikes that began against boats in the Caribbean and Pacific more than a year ago. Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness. In at least one case, Ecuadorian authorities said they had no evidence that a survivor of one of the strikes had participated in any criminal activity. The Trump administration is pursuing deals with allied nations to extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama this month that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil. Guatemala denied reaching such a deal. Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.___Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america