U.S. forces destroyed a floating fuel platform tied to an Ecuadorian criminal network on Monday, according to officials.
The operation was carried out in the Eastern Pacific Ocean by Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTFWH), which intercepted the vessel allegedly being used to support “at-sea drug trafficking operations,” U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said.
In a post on X, SOUTHCOM said “JTF-WHEM continues to conduct precise and professional operations to dismantle the logistical networks fueling narco-trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.”
Officials said the refueling vessel was linked to Los Choneros, an Ecuadorian narco-terrorist organization.
Those found on board were safely removed from the vessel and are expected to be transferred to Ecuadorian authorities.
After the boat was emptied and secured, U.S. forces sank it.
SOUTHCOM stood up Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere in August as part of a broader effort to confront regional threats, improve security cooperation, and respond to crises across the Western Hemisphere.
The Trump administration has prioritized targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels bound for the United States.
Last week, the cartel was designated by the State Department as a foreign terrorist organization. Its members have attacked and threatened public officials and their families, security personnel, judges, prosecutors, and journalists in Ecuador, the agency said.
“Their ultimate goal is to control drug trafficking routes through Ecuador by terrorizing and inflicting brutal violence on the Ecuadorian people,” said State Department deputy spokesperson Thomas Pigott.
In July, US and Ecuadorian authorities cooperated to extradite Los Choneros leader Fito Macias, who was the first Ecuadorian citizen extradited from Ecuador to face justice in the US.
