Shield of the Americas Bombing Campaign!
Boats are sunk!
Quito, Sep 17 (EFE).-
With eight boats sunk in less than three weeks, the United States is engaged in a bombing campaign against Ecuadorian fishing vessels. US authorities allege these vessels are tied to cocaine trafficking by providing logistics and refueling support to fast boats operated by Los Choneros, Ecuador’s oldest criminal gang.
1. How are the strikes carried out?
Unlike strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean, where crew members have been killed, US forces operate differently in the Ecuadorian Pacific: US Marines approach the vessels in speedboats to evacuate the crew before destroying the ships with heavy artillery fired from helicopters.
The operations are deployed from the USS San Antonio (LPD-17), which is patrolling waters where Ecuador’s fishing fleet traditionally operates. These same routes are used by vessels allegedly linked to drug cartels transporting large shipments of cocaine from the Ecuadorian coast toward North America.
Crew members have begun livestreaming these interceptions on TikTok to broadcast their location and document what happens to them, at least until Marines seize their phones.
2. Why are the boats being destroyed?
The campaign began on Aug. 28, just days before US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Quito last week. It falls under the Shield of the Americas, an international anti-organized crime coalition championed by US president Donald Trump that brings together around 15 right-leaning Latin American governments.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has been the most receptive leader to US military operations on Ecuadorian territory targeting criminal gangs, which his administration designated as “terrorist” organizations amid an ongoing internal armed conflict declared in early 2024 to combat an unprecedented wave of violence.
US officials claim intelligence indicates these vessels serve as floating refueling and logistics stations for Los Choneros’ cocaine smuggling networks bound for North America.
On Thursday, Noboa stated during a radio interview that there was “clear evidence” that drug trafficking organizations were utilizing these boats.
3. Which boats have been targeted?
The first vessel attacked was the “Los Tres Hermanos” on Aug. 28, followed by the “Conquista 2” on Sep. 2 and the “OM2” the next day. The “María Candelaria” was struck on Sep. 5, the “Montecristi” on Sep. 7, and the fishing boat “Don Rufo” on Sep. 8. On Tuesday, the “X Siempre Don Carlos” was sunk, followed by the ‘Karla Franccesca’ on Wednesday.
Beyond these eight cases, fishermen and families have reported strikes against three other vessels between Jan. and Mar. near the Galápagos Islands, including one incident in which eight fishermen disappeared and remain unaccounted for.
According to reporting by The Washington Post, those earlier strikes were part of a covert Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operation independent of the main anti-narcotics campaign conducted by the US government since 2025.
4. What happens to the crews?
The detaining forces hand over the fishermen to Ecuadorian authorities, but to date, the Ecuadorian judicial system has been unable to prosecute any of those involved on drug trafficking charges.
At least 56 crew members have been released after judges found insufficient evidence of a crime, while 32 others were granted conditional release after being charged with alleged unlawful association.
When asked about the strikes during his visit to Quito, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that these operations are not intended to harm fishermen, but rather to disrupt maritime drug trafficking by criminal organizations that the Trump administration considers terrorist groups. EFE
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