U.S. Southern Command said Tuesday that American forces sank another vessel it described as a “floating refueling station” allegedly tied to maritime drug-trafficking operations.
“On September 8, under the direction of #SOUTHCOM, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) forces successfully interdicted a floating refueling station supporting illicit at-sea drug trafficking operations in the Eastern Pacific,” SOUTHCOM wrote in a post on X.
The command said intelligence had linked the vessel to Los Choneros, which it described as a violent narco-terrorist organization. “Individuals removed from the vessel have been transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. After clearing the vessel and disembarking the crew, U.S. forces sank it,” SOUTHCOM added.
U.S. Southern Command shared video showing U.S. forces sinking the vessel on September 8, 2026. (U.S. Southern Command on X)
“JTF-WHEM continues to conduct precise and professional operations to dismantle the logistical networks fueling narco-trafficking in the Western Hemisphere,” the command said.
The announcement marks the latest in a series of similar updates from U.S. officials involving vessels allegedly operating as refueling hubs for Los Choneros, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
A counterterrorism guide identifies the Ecuador-based gang Los Choneros as “a major driver of destabilizing violence in Ecuador.”
The same document says the group is involved in a broad range of violent and criminal activity, including hired killings, kidnappings, political assassinations, and the smuggling of weapons, explosives and drugs.
“Los Choneros uses prisons and illegal gold mines as operational bases and cooperates with the Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel and with Albanian cartels to facilitate drug shipments globally,” the guide states.
