The US military said on Friday it had destroyed an alleged drug trafficking boat in a coordinated operation with Ecuador.
In a post on X, US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said that its forces intercepted a vessel “operating as a floating refueling station” in the Eastern Pacific.
According to SOUTHCOM, the vessel was operating “in support of the Los Choneros violent narco-terrorist organization,” referring to one of Ecuador’s most powerful criminal gangs, which Washington has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
“Working together with our Ecuadorian partners, our coalition dealt a decisive blow to a narco-terrorist operation responsible for moving significant amounts of drugs through the region,” SOUTHCOM said.
US, Ecuador combat drug cartels
In March, Ecuador joined President Donald Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” — a US-led coalition focused on combating drug trafficking across the region.
Ecuador’s strategic location between Colombia and Peru — the world’s two largest producers of cocaine — makes the country a key transit hub for drug-trafficking gangs.
The US military launched Operation Southern Spear in September 2025 as part of a fight against drug trafficking in the region.
The Trump administration, however, has not presented definitive evidence that the vessels targeted in its operations were carrying or transporting illegal drugs.
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Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
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