U.S. forces sink floating refueling vessel linked to Ecuadorian cartel in Pacific

U.S. Southern Command announced that Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WH) intercepted a floating refueling vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Monday and sank it after removing the crew. The ship was identified as part of the logistical network used by Los Choneros, an Ecuadorian organized-crime group that the State Department recently designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The individuals on board were transferred to Ecuadorian authorities for prosecution.

"JTF-WH continues to conduct precise and professional operations to dismantle the logistical networks fueling narco-trafficking in the Western Hemisphere," a SOUTHCOM post on X read.

The operation follows a broader U.S. effort, initiated in August, to counter illicit maritime activities that support drug trafficking to the United States. The administration has increased strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling narcotics in the region.