A U.S. task force intercepted and sank a vessel being used as a floating refueling station by drug traffickers tied to Ecuador’s Los Choneros gang, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). The people aboard were transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. The operation took place on Wednesday in international waters of the eastern Pacific.

Intelligence confirmed the vessel supported at-sea drug-trafficking operations run by Los Choneros, a group the United States has designated a foreign terrorist organization due to its violent activities and role in narcotics networks. U.S. Marines and sailors launched from the USS San Antonio boarded, searched, and cleared the vessel without incident before U.S. forces sank it.

The interdiction cuts off a critical node in the traffickers' logistics chain. It advances the goals of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition and Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere to dismantle narco-terrorist networks operating in the Western Hemisphere.

SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan stated that the operation demonstrated the elite capabilities and precision of the joint task force. He noted it applied total systemic friction on these networks through coordinated action with Ecuador.

This marks the second such U.S. interdiction of a suspected refueling vessel linked to Los Choneros in recent days. The earlier action occurred on August 28. Ecuadorian authorities have collaborated closely with U.S. forces on these missions as part of broader efforts against transnational criminal organizations.

Los Choneros and rival groups have fueled rising violence in Ecuador through control of cocaine routes. The United States has sanctioned networks tied to these organizations and designated them as foreign terrorist organizations.

The latest operation underscores ongoing U.S. commitment to disrupting drug flows destined for American communities through targeted maritime interdictions.