Ecuador admits it can’t find fishermen allegedly struck by US

Ecuador has admitted that it has been unable to locate eight fishermen who disappeared in the Pacific Ocean, where US forces regularly target boats suspected of drug trafficking, according to a document obtained by AFP. The US military began ordering strikes on suspected drug boats in the Pacific and Caribbean last September, resulting in over 200 deaths to date.

Last September, US President Donald Trump ordered strikes on the Fiorella, a boat carrying eight Ecuadoran fishermen. Their families claim the US military set the vessel alight, but Washington denies any involvement. Two surviving crewmembers reportedly saw drones operated by English-speaking individuals wearing uniforms with the US flag.

The incident prompted the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances to call on Ecuador to investigate the disappearance and search for the missing men. In May, Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa's right-wing administration acknowledged the lack of progress in the search and related investigation. The issue has been hampered by several factors, including the lack of direct support from the National Police and ineffective coordination with Ecuador's armed forces and Navy-controlled port authority.

Despite Ecuador's cooperation with the US to exchange information about the case, relatives of the missing fishermen have demanded answers, with some alleging that authorities stopped searching for their loved ones and even suggested they were involved in wrongdoing.