Watch: U.S. Sinks Vessel Used As ‘Floating Refueling Station’ For Drug Trafficking Operations

The U.S. military has intercepted and sunk a vessel that it said was being used as a floating refueling station to support drug trafficking operations at sea linked to Ecuadorian criminal group Los Choneros.

The vessel was intercepted on Sept. 2 in international waters in the Eastern Pacific, the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said.

U.S. Marines and sailors launched from the USS San Antonio (LPD 17) boarded and searched the vessel before clearing it without incident.

The people taken from the vessel are being transferred to Ecuadorian authorities, SOUTHCOM said.

U.S. forces then sank the vessel.

SOUTHCOM said intelligence showed that the vessel was supporting Los Choneros, which it described as a violent narco-terrorist organization.

The command said the operation was carried out with the cooperation of the Ecuadorian government.

The vessel was being used to refuel other boats involved in illegal drug trafficking operations. The command said removing it cut off an important part of the group’s supply and support network.

Second Vessel Destroyed

The operation came after U.S. forces destroyed another vessel on Friday that was also allegedly linked to Los Choneros.

Los Choneros is one of Ecuador’s main drug trafficking and extortion groups.

The latest operation was carried out by Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere. SOUTHCOM said the mission supports the work of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, known as A3C, which aims to break up drug trafficking networks.

The U.S. Defense Department and A3C said they remain committed to fighting narco-terrorist groups in the Western Hemisphere and protecting the U.S. homeland.

On Sept. 2, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, and in coordination and collaboration with the Government of Ecuador, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) successfully interdicted a vessel operating as a floating refueling station in support… pic.twitter.com/io55pvWff0

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) September 2, 2026

The operation is part of Operation Southern Spear, a U.S. military campaign launched a year ago against drug cartels operating out of Latin America.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said Washington is at war with drug cartels in the region.

Over 200 people have been killed in strikes in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean since the operation began, according to an AFP tally.

US has not provided enough evidence that the vessels targeted in its strikes were involved in drug trafficking.

Families Seek Information on Missing Fishermen

Relatives of fishermen in the Ecuadorian port city of Manta searched for information about their family members.

The relatives said a fishing boat had left on Friday for a fishing trip. Its crew later reported seeing helicopters and military boats approaching.

Olivia Holguin, the sister of the boat’s captain, told AFP that the men were fishermen who worked to support their families. She said relatives wanted to know what had happened to them and whether they were safe.

AFP said it could not confirm whether that fishing boat was the same vessel destroyed by U.S. forces.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa is one of Trump’s closest allies in Latin America.
In March, Ecuador joined the U.S.-led Shield of the Americas coalition, which was formed to fight drug trafficking in the region.

Reference: US CENTCOM