US military personnel have intercepted and subsequently sunk a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean that was being utilized to support the operations of the Ecuadorian drug cartel known as "Los Choneros."
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) released an official statement confirming the details of the operation.
The command reported that US Marines and sailors deployed from the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio to board and inspect the vessel. The crew members on board were detained without incident and subsequently transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. Following the detention, US military forces proceeded to sink the vessel.
SOUTHCOM emphasized that the operation was carried out in close coordination and cooperation with the government of Ecuador. According to US intelligence, the vessel served as a floating refueling station, facilitating drug trafficking activities in international waters of the Pacific Ocean. It was identified as operating on behalf of "Los Choneros," one of Ecuador's most prominent criminal organizations.
The Pacific Ocean remains a critical corridor for transnational drug trafficking, with international naval forces, led by the United States, frequently conducting maritime interdiction operations to disrupt the flow of illicit narcotics. These missions are often part of broader regional security initiatives aimed at dismantling organized crime networks that destabilize local governments and threaten international maritime security.
