U.S. takes out refueling station for alleged drug-trafficking boats

On Friday, the U.S. military, working with Ecuadorian authorities, boarded and subsequently sank a vessel in international waters near Ecuador, according to U.S. Southern Command. The ship, allegedly used as a floating refueling station for drug-trafficking boats affiliated with the Los Choneros organization, was discovered in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

U.S. Marines and sailors from the USS San Antonio conducted the boarding, and the operation proceeded without incident. Following the boarding, the individuals removed from the vessel were taken to Ecuador, and the U.S. sank the ship with an airstrike, which was captured in video footage. According to SOCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, the operation highlights the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition's ability to dismantle sophisticated narco-terrorist tactics and capabilities that facilitate drug trafficking to American communities.

The coalition, in collaboration with Ecuadorian partners, successfully dealt a significant blow to the narco-terrorist operation responsible for moving substantial amounts of drugs through the region. This strike is part of a series of U.S. military actions targeting alleged drug traffickers in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, with the U.S. having conducted at least 227 boat strikes since the Trump administration's initiative nearly a year ago.

The last strike in the Pacific Ocean occurred on Sunday, resulting in the death of two individuals. The Los Choneros gang, based in western Ecuador, has been a persistent challenge for Ecuadorian officials for years, with its leader, José Adolfo Macías Villamar, evading capture after serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking.

Macías, indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice in April 2025, was recaptured and extradited to the U.S. in July 2025, where he is currently awaiting trial on drug and weapons charges.