U.S. forces sink alleged cartel refueling vessel in Eastern Pacific

The United States military sank a vessel it identified as a floating refueling station for drug traffickers linked to Ecuador’s Los Choneros gang, U.S. Southern Command said this week, the latest in a string of at-sea operations targeting cartel logistics networks in Latin America.

U.S. Navy San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD 17), right, sails underway in the Pacific Ocean while a vessel of interest is destroyed during a Maritime Interdiction Operation Sept. 02, 2026. The vessel of interest was boarded and cleared before being destroyed. U.S. military forces are deployed to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in support of Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, Department of War-directed operations, and the President’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking, deter malign actors and protect the homeland through continuous presence. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)

According to SOUTHCOM, a U.S. task force intercepted and sank the vessel in international waters in the eastern Pacific. The command said the operation was carried out at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan and in coordination with the government of Ecuador.

Marines with Littoral Combat Force 24, launched from the USS San Antonio, stopped, boarded, searched and cleared the vessel before sinking it, with the individuals aboard to be turned over to Ecuadorian authorities. SOUTHCOM described the interdiction as having been carried out without incident.

U.S. Marines and Sailors with Maritime Raid Force, Littoral Combat Force-24, and Sailors with San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD 17), board a vessel of interest during a Maritime Interdiction Operation while underway in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 02, 2026. U.S. military forces are deployed to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in support of Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, Department of War-directed operations, and the President’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking, deter malign actors and protect the homeland through continuous presence. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)

Intelligence indicated the vessel was operating in support of Los Choneros, which the command described as a violent narco-terrorist organization. In a statement, SOUTHCOM said the operation cuts off a critical node in the traffickers’ logistics chain and advances the goals of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition and Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere in their effort to dismantle narco-terrorist networks.

A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 365 (Reinforced), Littoral Combat Force-24, fires a M134 Minigun during a Maritime Interdiction Operation while underway in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 02, 2026. The vessel of interest was boarded and cleared before being destroyed. U.S. military forces are deployed to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in support of Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, Department of War-directed operations, and the President’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking, deter malign actors and protect the homeland through continuous presence. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)

Los Choneros first emerged as an organized crime group in Manabí Province, Ecuador, and has been active since its founding in 2005. It is one of two Ecuadorian gangs, along with Los Lobos, that the United States has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization because of its involvement in violent drug-trafficking operations.

The strike is not an isolated event. On Aug. 28, U.S. forces carried out a similar operation against a vessel believed to be supporting the same organization, the vessel had previously been identified and targeted under Department of the Treasury sanctions. Together, the operations point to a sustained campaign by SOUTHCOM to target the refueling and resupply infrastructure that allows trafficking vessels to operate far from shore.

The interdiction comes amid a broader escalation of U.S. military activity aimed at cartels operating in Latin American waters, including a series of boat strikes carried out over the past year and, more recently.

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